How An Icelandic Herbalist is Empowering Refugees – Interview with Anna Rósa Róbertsdóttir: Ep. 60

I had the pleasure of sitting down with the awesome and very knowledgeable Icelandic herbalist Anna Rósa Róbertsdóttir.  She specializes in the use of Icelandic medicinal herbs and has been providing her services to people in Iceland for several decades. Before jumping into her interview, I have to mention the funny way in which Anna Rósa and I ended up becoming connected.  One day, I walked into an apótek in Iceland, called Jurtaapótek to buy some rosebud tea. As I was checking out, I saw a book about Icelandic herbs on the counter. The immediate thought that came into my head was, “Oh, I would love to interview the person that wrote this book for the podcast, because I find the topic of Icelandic herbs to be quite interesting.” So, I snapped a picture of the book, bought my tea and went about my day.  I think it was about a week or so later that Anna Rósa and I linked up. Maybe it was sheer coincidence or fate, but we both happen to have signed up for the same digital course and started messaging each other. Eventually, it dawned on me that she is the same person that wrote the book that I had snapped a picture of about a week prior. We both laughed at this and eventually we were able to set up an interview in her office. Anna Rósa was a delight to chat with and I love that her new skincare line was created to help empower refugees. During the interview, Anna Rósa and I talk about a salad dressing recipe that changed her life. She wrote a blog post about it. You can check it out here. Questions I asked Anna Rósa during the Interview: * What inspired you to be a herbalist? * Did you study to become a herbalist in Iceland or somewhere else? * How is the herbalist profession perceived in Iceland? Are people open to it, cautious about it or critical of it? * What kind of medicinal herbs can be found in Iceland? Are they wild? * How do you work with the herbs to create different mixes to help people with their ailments? * Your book “Icelandic herbs and their Medicinal Uses”, is like an encyclopedia of the many herbs in Iceland. Due to the herbs growing in Iceland, is the book mostly useful for people in Iceland or could it be used by those outside of the country? * Your new skincare line is unique in that the proceeds from it will be used to support organizations that help refugees. Can you talk a bit about that? * What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase? Connect with Anna Rósa on Social Media * Facebook* Instagram I hope you enjoyed listening to this episode of the All Things Iceland podcast. If you think someone else will find this episode interesting and/useful please share it.