Besides Beer, What are Hops Used For?
Although most people associate hops with beer, the twining vine actually has a long history of use in herbal medicine, and the plant has a few surprising applications as well. It may surprise you to learn that the use of hops in beer was actually eschewed across much of Europe until the medieval period, although the Romans used hops in their beers centuries previously. In addition to being used in medicine, hops also yield a potentially useful fiber, and they can be used as a food source. Hops vines are rather distinctive. They tend to twist and curl around things, gripping them firmly with small, stiff hairs. The scientific name for the plant is Humulus lupulus. The “lupulus” in the name is a reference to the wolf-like nature of the plant, which grips and does not let go. The plants produce large lobed leaves and yellow cone-shaped flowers. The flowers are the most useful part of the plant, harvested for use in herbal remedies and beer, due to their distinctly bitter and aromatic natu
