It is legendary. The story of its discovery could be out of a fairy tale. But the 13-herb mixture did not come about by chance. Quite the opposite, in fact.
The story began in summer 1940. Master baker and company founder Emil Richterich had long been interested in herbs and how they could be used, taking inspiration from the renowned Swiss herb specialist Johann Künzle. However, Richterich was not content to simply learn about the various herbs native to Switzerland – he began to experiment with them and unearth their special properties. And his efforts were not in vain: that summer, Richterich created the unique blend for the Ricola herbal drops that are now known wordwide. Richterich used 13 herbs for his famous mixture. He sourced all these from the Laufental area, now home to the company’s headquarters. Richterich may also has been inspired by the weird and wonderful names of some of the herbs and the special qualities they are said to have. Who knows? The exact recipe remains a secret and still forms the basis for all products today.