Valerian vs hops
Two European materials that appear together in a great many blends, one of which smells strongly unpleasant and the other of which is unbearably bitter.
botanical
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Valerian | Hop flower |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The root of a European plant, dried slowly at low temperature. | The papery cone of a climbing vine grown for brewing. |
| Aroma | Genuinely divisive; the smell develops during drying rather than in the fresh root. | Resinous with a citrus-pine top note that varies enormously by variety. |
| Flavour | Earthy and bitter. | Very bitter and resinous — among the most bitter things drunk deliberately. |
| Quantity | Used as one component of a mixture, essentially never alone. | A few cones is plenty; a spoonful is undrinkable. |
| Preparation | Simmered, like every root. | Steeped; a long steep makes it worse rather than stronger. |
| What it is better known for | Nothing else; it is a blend component. | Beer, and an industry that shaped whole landscapes in Kent and Bavaria. |
| Storage | Keep it away from anything aromatic — the smell transfers to a cupboard. | Oxidises fast in air; whole cones for infusion are a minor by-stream. |
The short answer
Neither is a drink on its own and both are recognisable inside a blend. Anyone who has disliked a European bitter tisane has usually met one of these two.
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