Our favourite Indian restaurant serves fennel seeds as after-dinner breath sweeteners. Other herbs which freshen and mildly disinfect breath without upsetting the natural balance of bacteria in the mouth are rosemary and caraway. Most effective of all is parsley. Chewing a few leaves or rinsing your mouth with parsley tea is far more effective than any peppermint lollies. And for those who love the taste of garlic, but not the smell, one way of eliminating 'garlic breath' is to eat a few orange segments after the meal.

To make a spicy mouthwash, soak nutmeg and peppercorns in red wine for two weeks straining before use. Chopped ginger root may be included, too. Used warm, this version in the recipe will also soothe swollen tonsils or a sore throat or for those who suffer from bucolic!