My dearest Herb and tea shop in Munich will close its doors at the end of the year. The message from End one era shocked me. The Wurzelsepp on Blumenstraße, not far from the Viktualienmarkt, has been my first stop for spices, delicious bitter and herbal teas and my beloved smoked pepper for many years. When the managing director Sabine Bäumler tells me this, I take my breath away for a moment. Please don’t, is my first thought. But it will come. On December 20, 2025, the shop that always smells so deliciously healthy will close forever. There were many reasons why the owners, to whom I owe so much inspiration (such as a tagliata with spruce tip cough syrup), took this step. The offer will not be gone – there is still an even larger online shop behind the store, but I will miss the pleasure of standing in line and sniffing the teas. They both put their heart and soul behind their medicinal herbs and incense mixtures and perhaps that is one of the reasons why I wish the family nothing but the very best. Lots of creative freedom for many other delicious mixtures. One thing is certain: no one makes such great, aromatic bitter tea like Wurzelsepp.
Wurzelsepp online shop
Now here is the transition to the Shrimp with tamari butter It’s not that easy to find, because spices don’t really play the main role in this dish. The only thing that connects them is that I went to the Viktualienmarkt to do my shopping, where I get the best shrimp and aromatic honey. So if I drive into the city center on a Saturday morning, a visit to the herb shop is a must. Without this, something is missing. Absolutely sure. And if only because of the Szechuan pepper, which was not available for a long time because the quality had to meet the highest standards. You can sprinkle a little of this pepper (ground in a mortar beforehand) over the finished noodles. Or you can garnish them with chili threads. You can never go wrong with something like that and it always looks pretty. 
Egg noodles with tamari butter, shrimp and smoked almonds
For two
300 g fresh egg noodles
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil
30g butter
3 cloves garlic, pressed or crushed with the back of a knife and then finely chopped
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (ideally young ginger)
300 g raw shrimp (with or without tail)
1 medium carrot, shredded into fine shavings
2 tablespoons tamari (also smoked tamari from the health food store, alternatively soy sauce)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
Juice of one lime
2 tsp honey
1 small chili (optional)
2 tablespoons black and white sesame seeds, toasted
2 tbsp smoked almonds, roughly chopped
3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh coriander
Cook the fresh pasta according to the package instructions.
Reserve about 50 ml of the cooking liquid before draining.
Rinse the drained noodles with hot water and stir in the toasted sesame oil.
Melt the butter and oil in a pan, add the garlic and ginger and cook gently for about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn a light pink color. Add the carrot shavings.
Add tamari, lime juice, oyster sauce and honey.
Add the cooking water a tablespoon at a time until it thickens slightly. Season to taste and add a little more tamari if necessary.
Mix the pasta into the sauce.
Divide onto plates and sprinkle with smoked almonds, sesame and coriander.
