Description
Gotukola — Centella asiatica, Mandukaparni in Sanskrit — is one of Sri Lanka’s most treasured everyday greens and one of Ayurveda’s most celebrated herbs. It is classed as a Medhya Rasayana, a rejuvenative for the mind, and described as carrying Tikta (bitter), Kashaya (astringent) and Madhura (sweet) rasa with a Sheeta (cooling) potency, balancing all three doshas.
In this tradition the leaf is prized above all as a tonic for the mind — traditionally taken to support memory, focus, calm and mental clarity. It is also long valued for healthy skin, wound healing and circulation. In Sri Lankan homes it is inseparable from daily life: the defining green of kola kanda, the island’s herbal porridge, and of gotukola sambol.
Grown in home gardens and damp ground across the island, gotukola is hand-picked and gently dried to hold its fresh, green character — an everyday leaf carrying deep tradition, now in a convenient caffeine-free tea cut.
How to Use
As a herbal tea: Steep 1 teaspoon (about 2g) in a cup of freshly boiled water for 5 minutes, then strain. Naturally caffeine-free — a calming, clarifying cup.
Blend it: Pairs well with lemongrass or a little honey.
Kola kanda & cooking: Add to the island’s traditional herbal porridge, or rehydrate for salads and sambol.
Good to know Gotukola is traditionally taken in moderation; very high or prolonged doses are not advised. Consult your doctor before regular use during pregnancy or if you have a liver condition.
Health Benefits
Mind & memory: A celebrated Medhya Rasayana — traditionally taken to support memory, focus and mental clarity.
Calm & clarity: Long valued to calm the mind while keeping it alert.
Skin & wound healing: Traditionally taken and applied to support healthy skin and wound healing.
Circulation: Traditionally valued to support healthy circulation.
Antioxidant: A natural source of antioxidant compounds (triterpenoids).
Sources: Representative research: reviews of Centella asiatica cognitive, wound-healing and circulatory activity (asiaticoside, madecassoside).
Sourcing
Gotukola grows in home gardens and damp ground across Sri Lanka. We source from home gardens and small farmers, hand-picked and gently dried. Much of this produce is naturally free of chemical inputs but not yet connected to organic networks; supporting these growers is part of our ongoing Regenerative Agriculture pilot.
