garden shop

[ Open All | Close All ]

Anise

Anise is sweet and very aromatic, distinguished by its characteristic flavor. The seeds, whole or ground, are used for preparation of tea (alone or in combination with other aromatic herbs), as well as in a wide variety of regional and ethnic confectioneries, including black jelly beans, British aniseed balls, Australian humbugs, New Zealand aniseed wheels, Italian pizzelle, German PfeffernÃ¼sse and Springerle, Austrian AnisbÃ¶gen, Dutch muisjes, New Mexican bizcochitos, and Peruvian picarones. It is a key ingredient in Mexican atole de anÃs and champurrado, which is similar to hot chocolate, and it is taken as a digestive after meals in India.

The Ancient Romans often served spiced cakes with aniseed called mustaceoe at the end of feasts as a digestive. This tradition of serving cake at the end of festivities is the basis for the tradition of serving cake at weddings.

Anise is used to flavor Middle Eastern arak; Colombian aguardiente; French absinthe, anisette, and pastis; Greek ouzo; Bulgarian and Macedonian mastika; German JÃ¤germeister; Swiss Appenzeller Alpenbitter; Italian sambuca; Dutch BrokmÃ¶pke; Portuguese, Peruvian, and Spanish anÃsado and Herbs de Majorca; Mexican XtabentÃºn; and Turkish rakÄ±. These liquors are clear, but on addition of water become cloudy, a phenomenon known as the ouzo effect. It is believed to be one of the secret ingredients in the French liqueur Chartreuse. It is also used in some root beers, such as Virgil's in the United States.

The main use of anise in traditional European herbal medicine was for its carminative effect (reducing flatulence), as noted by John Gerard in his Great Herball, an early encyclopedia of herbal medicine:The seed wasteth and consumeth winde, and is good against belchings and upbraidings of the stomacke, alaieth gripings of the belly, provoketh urine gently, maketh abundance of milke, and stirreth up bodily lust: it staieth the laske (diarrhea), and also the white flux in women.Anise has also been used to treat menstrual cramps and colic.The essential oil has reportedly been used as an insecticide against head lice and mites..

Basil

Basil, Thai basil, or sweet basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum of the family Lamiaceae (mints), sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English speaking countries.
Basil is possibly native to India, and has been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. It was thoroughly familiar to the Greek authors Theophrastus and Dioscorides. It is a half-hardy annual plant, best known as a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in Southeast Asian cuisines of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Taiwan. Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.
There are many varieties of Ocimum basilicum, as well as several related species or species hybrids also called basil.
The word basil comes from the Greek Î²Î±ÏƒÎ¹Î»ÎµÏ�Ï‚ (basileus), meaning "king", as it has come to be associated with the Feast of the Cross commemorating the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine I. The herbalist John Gerard noted that those stung by scorpions would feel no pain if they ate of basil, and Nicholas Culpeper noted of basil that it was "an herb of Mars and under the Scorpion, and therefore called Basilicon",relating it to basilisk. The Oxford English Dictionary quotes speculations that basil may have been used in "some royal unguent, bath, or medicine". Basil is still considered the "king of herbs" by many cookery authors.
Basil is most commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. In general, it is added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavor. The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water. The dried herb also loses most of its flavor, and what little flavor remains tastes very different, with a weak coumarin flavor, like hay.
Basil is one of the main ingredients in pestoâ€”a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce.
The most commonly used Mediterranean basil cultivars are "Genovese", "Purple Ruffles", "Mammoth", "Cinnamon", "Lemon", "Globe", and "African Blue". The Chinese also use fresh or dried basils in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves to thick soups (Chinese: pinyin: gÄ“ngtÄ�ng). They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves. Basil (most commonly Thai basil) is commonly steeped in cream or milk to create an interesting flavor in ice cream or chocolates (such as truffles). The leaves are not the only part of basil used in culinary applications, the flower buds have a more subtle flavor and they are edible.Thai basil is also a condiment in the Vietnamese noodle soup.
When soaked in water, the seeds of several basil varieties become gelatinous, and are used in Asian drinks and desserts such as faluda, sherbet or há»™t Ã©.
Basil is used for its medicinal properties in Ayurveda, the traditional medicinal system of India and Siddha medicine, a traditional Tamil system of medicine.
The various basils have such different scents because the herb has a number of different essential oils that come together in different proportions for various breeds. The strong clove scent of sweet basil is derived from eugenol, the same chemical as actual cloves. The citrus scent of lemon basil and lime basil reflects their higher portion of citral, which causes this effect in several plants including lemon mint, and of limonene, which gives actual lemon peel its scent. African blue basil has a strong camphor smell because it contains camphor and camphene in higher proportions. Licorice basil contains anethole, the same chemical that makes anise smell like licorice, and in fact is sometimes called "anise basil."
Recently, there has been much research into the health benefits conferred by the essential oils found in basil. Scientific studies in vitro have established that compounds in basil oil have potent antioxidant, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties, and potential for use in treating cancer. In addition, basil has been shown to decrease the occurrence of platelet aggregation and experimental thrombus in mice. It is traditionally used for supplementary treatment of stress, asthma and diabetes mellitus in India.
There are many rituals and beliefs associated with basil. The French sometimes call basil "l'herbe royale" ("royal herb"), while in Welsh it has the synonymous name "brenhinllys". Jewish folklore suggests it adds strength while fasting. In Portugal, dwarf bush basil is traditionally presented in a pot, together with a poem and a pom-pom, to a sweetheart, on the religious holidays of Saint John and Saint Anthony. However, basil represented hatred in ancient Greece, and European lore sometimes claims that basil is a symbol of Satan. African legend claims that basil protects against scorpions, while the English botanist Culpeper cites one "Hilarius, a French physician" as affirming it as common knowledge that smelling basil too much would breed scorpions in the brain.
Holy basil, also called tulsi, is highly revered in Hinduism. It is believed that the herb was found growing on the original cross of Christ when it was discovered by the Empress Helena, and hence basil has religious significance in the Greek Orthodox Church, where it is used to sprinkle holy water. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Serbian Orthodox Church, Macedonian Orthodox Church and Romanian Orthodox Church use basil (Bulgarian and Macedonian: Ð±Ð¾Ñ�Ð¸Ð»ÐµÐº; Romanian: busuioc, Serbian: Ð±Ð¾Ñ�Ð¸Ñ™Ð°Ðº) to prepare holy water and pots of basil are often placed below church altars.
In Europe, basil is placed in the hands of the dead to ensure a safe journey. In India, they place it in the mouth of the dying to ensure they reach God. The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks believed it would open the gates of heaven for a person passing on.
In Boccaccio's Decameron a memorably morbid tale (novella V) tells of Lisabetta, whose brothers slay her lover. He appears to her in a dream and shows her where he is buried. She secretly disinters the head, and sets it in a pot of basil, which she waters with her daily tears. The pot being taken from her by her brothers, she dies of her grief not long after. Boccaccio's tale is the source of John Keats' poem Isabella or The Pot of Basil â€“ which in turn inspired the paintings Isabella (Millais painting) and Isabella and the Pot of Basil. A similar story is told of the Longobard queen, Rosalind.
In certain central regions of Mexico, basil is used to draw fortune by hanging a bunch of the plant in the door or window of the shop. The plant's growth reflects the wealth of the business, showing how dutifully the owner cares for his shop and the herb.

Borrage

Borage ( Borago officinalis), also known as a starflower, is an annual herb in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and has naturalized in many other locales. It grows satisfactorily in gardens in the UK climate, remaining in the garden from year to year by self-seeding. The leaves are edible and the plant is grown in gardens for that purpose in some parts of Europe. The plant is also commercially cultivated for borage seed oil extracted from its seeds.

Borage boiled and sautÃ©ed with garlic, served with potatoes.
Traditionally, Borago officinalis has been used in hyperactive gastrointestinal, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, such as gastrointestinal (colic, cramps, diarrhea), airways (asthma, bronchitis), cardiovascular, (cardiotonic, antihypertensive and blood purifier), urinary (diuretic and kidney/bladder disorders).
Naturopathic practitioners use borage for regulation of metabolism and the hormonal system, and consider it to be a good remedy for PMS and menopause symptoms such as the hot flash. The flowers can be prepared in infusion.
One case of status epilepticus has been reported that was associated with borage oil ingestion.
A methanol extract of borage has shown strong amoebicidal activity in vitro. The 50% inhibitory concentration (LD50) of the extract against Entamoeba histolytica was 33 Âµg/mL.

Borage is used in companion planting. It is said to protect or nurse legumes, spinach, brassicas, and even strawberries. It is also said to be a good companion plant to tomatoes because it confuses the mother moths of tomato hornworms or manduca looking for a place to lay their eggs. Claims that it improves tomato growth and makes them taste better remain unsubstantiated.

Caper

Capparis spinosa, the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers.The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), often used as a seasoning, and the fruit (caper berries), both of which are usually consumed pickled. Other species of Capparis are also picked along with C. spinosa for their buds or fruits. Other parts of Capparis plants are used in the manufacture of medicines and cosmetics.
Capparis spinosa is found in the wild in Mediterranean, East Africa, Madagascar, south-western and Central Asia, Himalayas, the Pacific Islands, Indomalaya, Australia. It is present in almost all the circum-Mediterranean countries, and is included in the flora of most of them, but whether it is indigenous to this region is uncertain. Although the flora of the Mediterranean region has considerable endemism, the caper bush could have originated in the tropics, and later been naturalized to the Mediterranean basin.
The shrubby plant is many-branched, with alternate leaves, thick and shiny, round to ovate. The flowers are complete, sweetly fragrant, and showy, with four sepals and four white to pinkish-white petals, and many long violet-colored stamens, and a single stigma usually rising well above the stamens.
The salted and pickled caper bud (called simply a caper) is often used as a seasoning or garnish. Capers are a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, especially Cypriot, Italian, and Maltese. The mature fruit of the caper shrub are prepared similarly and marketed as caper berries.
The buds, when ready to pick, are a dark olive green and about the size of a fresh kernel of corn (Zea mays). They are picked, then pickled in salt, or a salt and vinegar solution, and drained. Intense flavor is developed as mustard oil (glucocapparin) is released from each caper bud. This enzymatic reaction leads to the formation of rutin, often seen as crystallized white spots on the surfaces of individual caper buds.
Capers are a distinctive ingredient in Italian cuisine, especially in Sicilian and southern Italian cooking. They are commonly used in salads, pasta salads, meat dishes, and pasta sauces. Examples of uses in Italian cuisine are chicken piccata and spaghetti alla puttanesca.
Capers are known for being one of the ingredients of tartar sauce. They are often served with cold smoked salmon or cured salmon dishes (especially lox and cream cheese). Capers and caper berries are sometimes substituted for olives to garnish a martini.
Capers are categorized and sold by their size, defined as follows, with the smallest sizes being the most desirable: non-pareil (up to 7 mm), surfines (7â€“8 mm), capucines (8â€“9 mm), capotes (9â€“11 mm), fines (11â€“13 mm), and grusas (14+ mm). If the caper bud is not picked, it flowers and produces a caper berry. The fruit can be pickled and then served as a Greek mezze.
Unripe nasturtium seeds can be substituted for capers; they have a very similar texture and flavour when pickled. Pickled caper berries are very popular as a snack in Menorca.
Caper leaves, which are hard to find outside of Greece or Cyprus, are used particularly in salads and fish dishes. They are pickled or boiled and preserved in jars with brineâ€”like caper buds.
Dried caper leaves are also used as a substitute for rennet in the manufacturing of high-quality cheese.
In Greek popular medicine, a herbal tea made of caper root and young shoots is considered beneficial against rheumatism. Dioscorides also provides instructions on the use of sprouts, roots, leaves and seeds in the treatment of strangury and inflammation.

Caraway

Chamomile

Chamomile or camomile is the common name for several daisy -like plants of the family Asteraceae that are commonly used to make herb infusion to serve various medicinal purposes. Popular uses of chamomile preparations include treating hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasm, menstrual disorders, insomnia, ulcers, gastrointestinal disorder, and hemorrhoids.
The word "chamomile" derives, via French and Latin , from Greek Ï‡Î±Î¼Î±Î¯Î¼Î·Î»Î¿Î½ ( khamaimÄ“lon ), ie "earth apple", from Ï‡Î±Î¼Î±Î¯ ( khamai ) "on the ground" and Î¼á¿†Î»Î¿Î½ ( mÄ“lon ) "apple". The more common British spelling "camomile," is the older in English, while the spelling "chamomile" corresponds to the Latin and Greek source. The spelling camomile more accurately corresponds to the more immediate derivation from French.
Chamomile has been used for inflammation associated with hemorrhoids when topically applied. There is Level B evidence that chamomile possesses anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties and could be used to treat stress and insomnia . In 2009, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania concluded the first controlled clinical trial of chamomile extract for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The results suggest chamomile may have modest anxiolytic activity in patients with mild to moderate GAD, although the results have not since been replicated. Chemical components of chamomile extract have demonstrated anti-inflammatory , antihyperglycemic , antigenotoxic , and anticancer properties when examined in vitro and in animal studies .
Chamomile is frequently added to skin cosmetics to serve as an emollient , and for its anti-inflammatory effects. Chamomile is also often used to enhance the color of blonde hair .

Chervil

Chervil ( Anthriscus cerefolium ), sometimes called garden chervil to distinguish it from similar plants also called chervil, or French parsley , is a delicate annual herb related to parsley . It is commonly used to season mild-flavoured dishes and is a constituent of the French herb mixture fines herbes .
Chervil is used, particularly in France, to season poultry , seafood , young spring vegetables (such as carrots), soups, and sauces. More delicate than parsley, it has a faint taste of liquorice or aniseed .
Chervil is one of the four traditional French fines herbes , along with tarragon, chives, and parsley, which are essential to French cooking. Unlike the more pungent, robust herbs, thyme, rosemary, etc., which can take prolonged cooking, the fines herbes are added at the last minute, to salads, omelettes, and soups.
According to some, slugs are attracted to chervil and the plant is sometimes used to bait them.
Chervil has had various uses in folk medicine. It was claimed to be useful as a digestive aid, for lowering high blood pressure , and, infused with vinegar , for curing hiccups . Besides its digestive properties, it is used as a mild stimulant.Chervil has also been implicated in "strimmer dermatitis ", or phytophotodermatitis, due to spray from weed trimmers and other forms of contact. Other plants in the family Apiaceae can have similar effects.

Chives

Chives is the common name of Allium schoenoprasum . It, like most of the other species of the Allium genus, is a choice edible .
A perennial plant , it is widespread in nature across much of Europe , Asia and North America .
A. schoenoprasum is the only species of Allium native to both the New and the Old Worlds .
The name of the species derives from the Greek ÏƒÏ‡Î¿Î¯Î½Î¿Ï‚, skhoÃnos ( sedge ) and Ï€Ï�Î¬ÏƒÎ¿Î½, prÃ¡son ( leek ). Its English name, chives , derives from the French word cive , from cepa , the Latin word for onion.
Chives are a commonly used herb and can be found in grocery stores or grown in home gardens. In culinary use, the scapes and the unopened, immature flower buds are diced and used as an ingredient for fish , potatoes , soups , and other dishes. Chives have insect-repelling properties that can be used in gardens to control pests.
Chives are grown for their scapes , which are used for culinary purposes as a flavoring herb, and provide a somewhat milder flavor than those of other Allium species.
Chives have a wide variety of culinary uses, such as in traditional dishes in France , Sweden and elsewhere. In his 1806 book Attempt at a Flora ( FÃ¶rsÃ¶k til en flora ), Retzius describes how chives are used with pancakes, soups, fish and sandwiches. They are also an ingredient of the grÃ¤ddfil sauce with the traditional herring dish served at Swedish midsummer celebrations. The flowers may also be used to garnish dishes. In Poland and Germany , chives are served with quark cheese . Chives are one of the " fines herbes " of French cuisine, which also include tarragon , chervil and/or parsley . Chives can be found fresh at most markets year-round, making them readily available; they can also be dry-frozen without much impairment to the taste, giving home growers the opportunity to store large quantities harvested from their own gardens.
The medicinal properties of chives are similar to those of garlic , but weaker; the faint effects in comparison with garlic are probably the main reason for their limited use as a medicinal herb . Containing numerous organosulfur compounds such as allyl sulfides and alkyl sulfoxides , chives are reported to have a beneficial effect on the circulatory system . They also have mild stimulant , diuretic , and antiseptic properties. As chives are usually served in small amounts and never as the main dish, negative effects are rarely encountered, although digestive problems may occur following overconsumption.
Chives are also rich in vitamins A and C ,contain trace amounts of sulfur, and are rich in calcium and iron .
Chives have been cultivated in Europe since the Middle Ages (5th until the 15th centuries), although their usage dates back 5000 years. They were sometimes referred to as "rush leeks" (from the Greek schoinos meaning rush and prason meaning leek).
The Romans believed chives could relieve the pain from sunburn or a sore throat. They believed eating chives could increase blood pressure and act as a diuretic .
Romanian Gypsies have used chives in fortune telling. It was believed that bunches of dried chives hung around a house would ward off disease and evil.

Coriander

Coriander ( Coriandrum sativum ), also known as cilantro, Chinese parsley or dhania , is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae .
Coriander is native to regions spanning from southern Europe and northern Africa to southwestern Asia.The seeds are generally used as a spice or an added ingredient in other foods or recipes, although sometimes they are eaten alone.
First attested in English late fourteenth century, the word coriander derives from the Old French : coriandre , which comes from Latin : coriandrum , in turn from Ancient Greek : ÎºÎ¿Ï�Î¯Î±Î½Î½Î¿Î½ koriannon . The earliest attested form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek ð�€’ð�€Šð�€…ð�€™ ko-ri-ja-da-na (written in Linear B syllabic script, reconstructed as koriadnon ), similar to the name of Minos 's daughter Ariadne , which later evolved to koriannon or koriandron .
Cilantro is the Spanish word for coriander, also deriving from coriandrum . It is the common term in North American English for coriander leaves, due to their extensive use in Mexican cuisine.
All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking. Coriander is common in South Asian , Southeast Asian , Indian , Middle Eastern , Caucasian , Central Asian , Mediterranean , Tex-Mex , Latin American , Brazilian , Portuguese , Chinese and African cuisines.
The leaves are variously referred to as coriander leaves, fresh coriander, dhania, Chinese parsley, or (in North America) cilantro.
It should not be confused with culantro ( Eryngium foetidum L.), an apiaceae like coriander ( Coriandrum sativum L.) but in a different genus . Culantro has a distinctly different spiny appearance, a more potent volatile leaf oil and a stronger aroma.
The leaves have a different taste from the seeds, with citrus overtones. However, some people experience an unpleasant soapy taste or a rank smell and avoid the leaves.
The fresh leaves are an ingredient in many Indian foods (such as chutneys and salads); in Chinese and Thai dishes; in Mexican cooking, particularly in salsa and guacamole and as a garnish; and in salads in Russia and other CIS countries. Chopped coriander leaves are a garnish on Indian dishes such as dal . As heat diminishes their flavour, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish immediately before serving. In Indian and Central Asian recipes, coriander leaves are used in large amounts and cooked until the flavour diminishes. The leaves spoil quickly when removed from the plant, and lose their aroma when dried or frozen.
Dried coriander fruits, often called coriander seeds when used as a spice
The dry fruits are known as coriander seeds. In Indian cuisine they are called dhana .
The word coriander in food preparation may refer solely to these seeds (as a spice), rather than to the plant. The seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed, due to terpenes linalool and pinene . It is described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured.
The variety C. s. vulgare has a fruit diameter of 3â€“5 mm (0.12â€“0.20 in), while var. microcarpum fruits have a diameter of 1.5â€“3 mm (0.059â€“0.118 in). Large-fruited types are grown mainly by tropical and subtropical countries, eg Morocco, India and Australia, and contain a low volatile oil content (0.1-0.4%). They are used extensively for grinding and blending purposes in the spice trade. Types with smaller fruit are produced in temperate regions and usually have a volatile oil content of around 0.4-1.8%, so are highly valued as a raw material for the preparation of essential oil.
It is commonly found both as whole dried seeds and in ground form. Roasting or heating the seeds in a dry pan heightens the flavour, aroma and pungency. Ground coriander seed loses flavour quickly in storage and is best ground fresh. Coriander seed is a spice in garam masala and Indian curries which often employ the ground fruits in generous amounts together with cumin ,acting as a thickener in a mixture called dhana jeera .
Roasted coriander seeds, called dhana dal , are eaten as a snack. They are the main ingredient of the two south Indian dishes: sambhar and rasam .
Outside of Asia, coriander seed is used widely in the process for pickling vegetables. In Germany and South Africa (see boerewors ), the seeds are used while making sausages. In Russia and Central Europe, coriander seed is an occasional ingredient in rye bread (eg borodinsky bread ), as an alternative to caraway .
The Zuni people have adapted it into their cuisine, mixing the powdered seeds ground with chile and using it as a condiment with meat, and eating leaves as a salad.
Coriander seeds are used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgian wheat beers . The coriander seeds are used with orange peel to add a citrus character.
Having a deeper, more intense flavor than the leaves, coriander roots are used in a variety of Asian cuisines, especially in Thai dishes such as soups or curry pastes
The nutritional profile of coriander seeds is different from the fresh stems or leaves. Leaves are particularly rich in vitamin A , vitamin C and vitamin K , with moderate content of dietary minerals (table above). Although seeds generally have lower content of vitamins, they do provide significant amounts of dietary fiber , calcium , selenium , iron , magnesium and manganese .
Different people may perceive the taste of coriander leaves differently. Those who enjoy it say it has a refreshing, lemony or lime-like flavor, while those who dislike it have a strong aversion to its taste and smell, likening it to that of soap and bugs. Twin studies have shown that 80% of identical twins shared the same preference for the herb, but fraternal twins agreed only about half the time, strongly suggesting a genetic component to the preference. In a genetic survey of nearly 30,000 people, two genetic variants linked to perception of coriander have been found, the most common of which is a gene involved in sensing smells. The gene, OR6A2 , lies within a cluster of olfactory-receptor genes, and encodes a receptor that is highly sensitive to aldehyde chemicals. Flavor chemists have found that the coriander aroma is created by a half-dozen or so substances, and most of these are aldehydes. Those who dislike the taste are sensitive to the offending unsaturated aldehydes, while simultaneously may also be unable to detect the aromatic chemicals that others find pleasant. Association between its taste and several other genes, including a bitter-taste receptor, have also been found.

Corn salad

Valerianella locusta(corn salad) is a small dicot annual plant of the family Caprifoliaceae that is an edible leaf vegetable with a characteristic nutty flavor, dark green color, and soft texture, popularly served as salad greens . Common names include corn salad , common cornsalad , lamb's lettuce , mÃ¢che , fetticus , feldsalat , nut lettuce , field salad , and rapunzel . In restaurants that feature French cooking, it may be called doucette or raiponce , as an alternative to mÃ¢che, by which it is best known. In German-speaking Switzerland it is known as NÃ¼sslisalat or NÃ¼ssler, terms that have been borrowed by the area's many English-speakers.

Like other formerly foraged greens, corn salad has many nutrients, including three times as much vitamin C as lettuce, beta-carotene, B 6 , iron, and potassium. It is best if gathered before flowers appear.

Dill

Dill ( Anethum graveolens ) is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae ..It is the sole species of the genus Anethum . "Dill" is a Germanic word whose origin is unknown.

Fresh and dried dill leaves (sometimes called "dill weed" to distinguish it from dill seed) are widely used as herbs in Europe and central Asia.

Like caraway , the fernlike leaves of dill are aromatic and are used to flavor many foods such as gravlax (cured salmon ) and other fish dishes, borscht and other soups , as well as pickles (where the dill flower is sometimes used). Dill is best when used fresh as it loses its flavor rapidly if dried; however, freeze-dried dill leaves retain their flavor relatively well for a few months.

Dill seed, having a flavor similar to caraway but also resembling that of fresh or dried dill weed, is used as a spice . Dill oil is extracted from the leaves, stems and seeds of the plant. The oil from the seeds is distilled and used in the manufacturing of soaps.

Dill is the eponymous ingredient in dill pickles : cucumbers preserved in salty brine and/or vinegar.

In central and eastern Europe , Scandinavia , Russia and Finland , dill is a popular culinary herb used in the kitchen along with parsley. Fresh, finely cut dill leaves are used as topping in soups, especially the hot red borsht and the cold borsht mixed with curds, kefir, yoghurt, or sour cream, which is served during hot summer weather and is called okroshka . It is also popular in summer to drink fermented milk (curds, kefir, yoghurt, or buttermilk) mixed with dill (and sometimes other herbs).

In the same way, prepared dill is used as a topping for boiled potatoes covered with fresh butter especially in summer when there are so-called "new," or young, potatoes. The dill leaves can be mixed with butter, making a dill butter, which can serve the same purpose. Dill leaves mixed with tvorog form one of the traditional cheese spreads used for sandwiches. Fresh dill leaves are used all year round as an ingredient in salads, eg , one made of lettuce, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, the way basil leaves are used in Italy and Greece.

In Poland, fresh dill leaves mixed with sour cream are the basis for dressings,. It is especially popular to use this kind of sauce with freshly cut cucumbers, which practically are wholly immersed in the sauce, making a salad called "mizeria". The dill leaves serve as a basis for cooking dill sauce, used hot for baked freshwater fish and for chicken or turkey breast, or used hot or cold for hard-boiled eggs.

In south-eastern Poland it is popular to cook a dill-based soup (zupa koperkowa), served with potatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Whole stems including roots and flower buds are traditionally used to prepare Polish-style pickled cucumbers , especially the so-called low-salt cucumbers . Whole stems of dill (often including the roots) are also cooked with potatoes, especially the potatoes of autumn and winter, so they resemble the flavor of the newer potatoes found in summer. Some kinds of fish, especially trout and salmon, are traditionally baked with the stems and leaves of dill.

In Germany, dill is popular as a seasoning for fish and many other dishes, chopped as a garnish on potatoes, and a flavoring in pickles.

In Romania dill ( mÄƒrar ) is widely used as an ingredient for soups such as borÅŸ (pronounced "borsh"), pickles and other dishes, especially those based on peas, beans and cabbage. It is popular for dishes based on potatoes and mushrooms and can be found in many summer salads (especially cucumber salad, cabbage salad and lettuce salad). During springtime, it is used with spring onions in omelets. It often complements sauces based on sour cream or yogurt and is mixed with salted cheese and used as a filling. Another popular dish with dill as a main ingredient is dill sauce, which is served with eggs and fried sausages.

In Hungary , dill is very widely used. It is popular as a sauce or filling, especially in Langos , and mixed with a type of cottage cheese. Dill is also used for pickling and in salads. The Hungarian name for dill is kapor .

In Serbia , dill is known as mirodjija and is used as an addition to soups, potato and cucumber salads and French fries..

In Greece , dill is known as anithos. In antiquity it was used as an add-in in wines, which they were called "anithites oinos" (wine with anithos-dill). In modern days, dill is used in salads, soups, sauces, and fish and vegetable dishes.

In Santa Maria , Azores , dill ( endro ) is the most important ingredient of the traditional Holy Ghost soup ( sopa do EspÃrito Santo ). Dill is found practically everywhere in Santa Maria and is curiously rare in the other Azorean Islands.

In Sweden , dill is a common spice or herb. The top of fully grown dill is called krondill (English: Crown dill); this is used when cooking crayfish . The krondill is put in to the water after the crayfish is boiled, but still in hot and salt water. Then the entire dish is stored in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating (with toasted bread and butter). Krondill is also used for cucumber pickles . Small cucumbers, sliced or not, are put into a solution of hot water, mild acetic vinegar (not made from wine and without colour), sugar and krondill . After a month or two, the cucumber pickles are ready to eat, for instance, with pork, brown sauce and potatoes, as a "sweetener". The thinner part of dill and young plants may be used with boiled fresh potatoes (as the first potatoes for the year, which usually are small and have a very thin skin). It is used together with, or instead of other green herbs, like parsley , chives and basil , in salads.

In Iran , dill is known as shevid and is sometimes used with rice and called shevid-polo . It is also used in Iranian aash recipes, and is also called sheved in Persian .

In India , dill is known as shepu in Marathi and Konkani, savaa in Hindi or soa in Punjabi.

In Telugu, it is called Soa-kura (for herb greens). It is also called sabbasige soppu in Kannada . In Tamil it is known as sada kuppi .. In Sanskrit, this herb is called shatapushpa . In Gujarati, it is known as suva . In India, dill is prepared in the manner of yellow moong dal as a main-course dish. It is considered to have very good antigas properties,so it is used as mukhwas , or an after-meal digestive. It is also traditionally given to mothers immediately after childbirth. In the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, a smaller amount of fresh dill is cooked along with cut potatoes and fresh fenugreek leaves(Hindi à¤†à¤²à¥‚-à¤®à¥‡à¤¥à¥€-à¤¸à¥‹à¤¯à¤¾). In Manipur , dill, locally known as pakhon , is an essential ingredient of chagem pomba â€“ a traditional Manipuri dish made with fermented soybean and rice. In Sri Lanka dill is known in Sinhala as "asamodagam" .

In Laos and parts of northern Thailand , dill is known in English as Lao coriander . In the Lao language , it is called phak see , and in Thai , it is known as phak chee Lao . In Lao cuisine , Lao coriander is used extensively in traditional Lao dishes such as mok pa (steamed fish in banana leaf) and several coconut milk-based curries that contain fish or prawns .

In China dill is colloquially called huixiang , or more properly shiluo . It is a common filling in baozi and xianbing and can be used vegetarian, with rice vermicelli, or combined with either meat or eggs. Vegetarian dill baozi are a common part of a Beijing breakfast. In baozi and xianbing, it is often interchangeable with non-bulbing fennel and the term can also refer to fennel, like caraway and coriander leaf share a name in Chinese as well. Dill is also stir fried as a potherb, often with egg, in the same manner as Chinese chives . It is commonly used in Taiwan as well.

In Vietnam , the use of dill in cooking is regional; it is used mainly in northern Vietnamese cuisine.

In Arab countries, dill seed, called ain jaradeh (grasshopper's eye), is used as a spice in cold dishes such as fattoush and pickles. In Arab countries of the Persian Gulf , dill is called shibint and is used mostly in fish dishes. In Egypt , dillweed is commonly used to flavor cabbage dishes, including mahshi koronb (stuffed cabbage leaves). In Israel, dill seed is used to spice in salads and also to flavor omelette alongside parsley.

In Canada , dill is a favorite herb to accompany poached salmon.

In Anglo-Saxon England , as prescribed in Leechdoms, Wortcunning, and Starcraft of Early England (also called LÃ¦ceboc , many of whose recipes were borrowed from Greek medicinal texts), dill was used in many traditional medicines, including those against jaundice, headache, boils, lack of appetite, stomach problems, nausea, liver problems, and many other ills. Dill seeds can also be used to prepare herbal tea.

In India the leaves of dill and other greens are used to prepare a variety of local dishes which are served as an accompaniment to rotis or chapatis.

In ancient Greece fragrance was made from the leaves of dill. Also, athletes used to spread essence of dill all over their body, as muscle toner.

When used as a companion plant , dill attracts many beneficial insects as the umbrella flower heads go to seed. It makes a good companion plant for cucumbers. It is a poor companion for carrots and tomatoes.

Field poppy

A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae . Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colorful flowers. One species of poppy, Papaver somniferum , produces edible seeds and is also the source of the crude drug opium which contains powerful medicinal alkaloids such as morphine and has been used since ancient times as an analgesic and a source of narcotic , medicinal and recreational drugs . Following the trench warfare which took place in the poppy fields of Flanders , during the 1st World War , poppies have become a symbol of remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime.

The flowers of most poppy species are attractive and are widely cultivated as annual or perennial ornamental plants . This has resulted in a number of commercially important cultivars, such as the Shirley poppy, a cultivar of Papaver rhoeas and semi-double or double (flore plena) forms of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum and oriental poppy ( Papaver orientale ). Poppies of several other genera are also cultivated in gardens. A few species have other uses, principally as sources of drugs and foods. The opium poppy is widely cultivated and its worldwide production is monitored by international agencies. It is used for production of dried latex and opium , the principal precursor of narcotic and analgesic opiates such as morphine , heroin and codeine . Poppy seeds are rich in oil, carbohydrates, calcium, and protein. Poppy oil is often used as cooking oil, salad dressing oil, or in products such as margarine. Poppy oil can also be added to spices for cakes, or breads. Poppy products are also used in different paints, varnishes, and some cosmetics (Jonsson and Krzymanski, 1989).

Wild poppies are confined to the coastal areas of the Western Mediterranean. It is suggested that wild poppy was domesticated by the indigenous people of Western and Central Europe between 6000 and 3500 BC.

Ancient Egyptian doctors would have their patients eat seeds from a poppy to relieve pain. Poppy seeds contain small quantities of both morphine and codeine , which are pain-relieving drugs that are still used today. Poppy seeds and fixed oils can also be nonnarcotic because when they are harvested the morphine practically disappears from the seeds twenty days after the flower has opened (Jonsson and Krzymanski, 1989).

Garden cress

   Cress ( Lepidium sativum ), sometimes referred to as garden cress to distinguish it from similar plants also referred to as cress (from old Germanic cresso which means sharp, spicy), is a rather fast-growing, edible herb .

Garden cress is genetically related to watercress and mustard , sharing their peppery, tangy flavor and aroma. In some regions, garden cress is known as mustard and cress , garden pepper cress , pepperwort pepper grass , or poor man's pepper .

Garden cress is added to soups, sandwiches and salads for its tangy flavor. It is also eaten as sprouts , and the fresh or dried seed pods can be used as a peppery seasoning ( haloon ). In England, cut cress shoots are commonly used in sandwiches with boiled eggs , mayonnaise and salt.

Garden cress, known as chandrashoor , and the seeds, known as halloon in India, are commonly used in the system of Ayurveda to prevent postnatal complications.

Garden cress seeds, since ancient times, have been used in local traditional medicine of India . Seeds have been shown to reduce the symptoms of asthma and improve lung function in asthmatics. The seeds have been reported as possessing a hypoglycemic property in rats and the seed mucilage is used as a substitute for gum arabic and tragacanth.

Cress may be given to budgerigars . Some use it in the belief that it can cure asthma, bronchitis bleeding piles.

Some use Lepidium sativum seeds for indigestion and constipation.

Lavender

Lavandula (common name lavender ) is a genus of 39 known species of flowering plants in the mint family , Lamiaceae . It is native to the Old World and is found from Cape Verde and the Canary Islands , Europe across to northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest Asia to southeast India. Many members of the genus are cultivated extensively in temperate climates as ornamental plants for garden and landscape use, for use as culinary herbs , and also commercially for the extraction of essential oils .

Commercially, the plant is grown mainly for the production of essential oil of lavender. This has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. These extracts are also used as fragrances for bath products.

It is grown as a condiment and used in salads and dressings. Flowers yield abundant nectar from which bees make a high-quality honey . Monofloral honey is produced primarily around the Mediterranean , and is marketed worldwide as a premium product. Flowers can be candied and are sometimes used as cake decorations . Lavender flavours baked goods and desserts (it pairs especially well with chocolate), and is also used to make "lavender sugar". Lavender flowers are occasionally blended with black , green , or herbal teas .

Though it has many other traditional uses in southern France, lavender is not used in traditional southern French cooking. It does not appear at all in the best-known compendium of ProvenÃ§al cooking, J.-B. Reboul's CuisiniÃ¨re ProvenÃ§ale In the 1970s, a blend of herbs called herbes de Provence which usually includes lavender was invented by spice wholesalers, and lavender has more recently become popular in cooking.

Lavender lends a floral and slightly sweet flavour to most dishes, and is sometimes paired with sheep's-milk and goat's-milk cheeses. For most cooking applications the dried buds, which are also referred to as flowers, are used. Some chefs experiment with the leaves but only the buds contain the essential oil of lavender, from which the scent and flavour of lavender are derived. In the United States, both lavender syrup and dried lavender buds are used to make lavender scones and marshmallows .The essential oil was used in hospitals during World War I.

Lavender is used extensively with herbs such as chamomile in aromatherapy . Infusions are believed to soothe insect bites, burns, and headaches. Bunches of lavender repel insects. In pillows, lavender seeds and flowers aid sleep and relaxation. An infusion of flowerheads added to a cup of boiling water is used to soothe and relax at bedtime . Lavender oil (or extract of lavender) is used to treat acne when diluted 1:10 with water, rosewater , or witch hazel ; it also treats skin burns and inflammatory conditions.

A study published in 2010 investigated anxiolytic effects and influence on sleep quality. Lavender oil with a high percentage of linalool and linalyl acetate , in the form of capsules, was generally well tolerated. It showed meaningful efficacy in alleviating anxiety and related sleep disturbances .

Lavender oil is approved for use as an anxiolytic in Germany under the name Lasea . A survey paper on lavender and the nervous system published in 2013 states that, "there is growing evidence suggesting that lavender oil may be an effective medicament in treatment of several neurological disorders."

Lavender may be very effective with wounds; however, lavender honey (created from bees feeding on lavender plants), instead of lavender essential oil has the best effects of uninfected wounds.

Flower spikes are used for dried flower arrangements. The fragrant, pale purple flowers and flower buds are used in potpourris . Lavender is also used extensively as herbal filler inside sachets used to freshen linens. Dried and sealed in pouches, lavender flowers are placed among stored items of clothing to give a fresh fragrance and to deter moths . Dried lavender flowers have become recently popular for wedding confetti. Lavender is also popular in scented waters and sachets .

Lemon balm

Melissa officinalis , known as lemon balm , balm , common balm , or balm mint , is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family Lamiaceae , native to south-central Europe , North Africa , the Mediterranean region , and Central Asia .

Lemon balm is often used as a flavouring in ice cream and herbal teas , both hot and iced , often in combination with other herbs such as spearmint . It is also frequently paired with fruit dishes or candies . It can be used in fish dishes and is the key ingredient in lemon balm pesto.

In the traditional Austrian medicine, M. officinalis leaves have been prescribed for internal (as tea) or external (essential oil) application for the treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, liver, and bile. It is also a common addition to peppermint tea , mostly because of its complementing flavor.

Lemon balm is the main ingredient of Carmelite Water , which is still for sale in German pharmacies. Lemon balm essential oil is very popular in aromatherapy . The essential oil is commonly codistilled with lemon oil, citronella oil , or other oils.

The authors further report a "significant increase in the speed of mathematical processing, with no reduction in accuracy" following the administration of a 300-mg dose of extract. The crushed leaves, when rubbed on the skin, are used as a mosquito repellent. Lemon balm and preparations thereof also have been shown to improve mood and mental performance.

Marjoram

Marjoram ( Origanum majorana , syn. Majorana hortensis Moench, Majorana majorana ) is a somewhat cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavors. In some Middle Eastern countries, marjoram is synonymous with oregano , and there the names sweet marjoram and knotted marjoram are used to distinguish it from other plants of the genus Origanum . It is also called pot marjoram , although this name is also used for other cultivated species of Origanum .

The name marjoram ( Old French majorane , Medieval Latin majorana ) does not directly derive from the Latin word maior (major). Marjoram is indigenous to Cyprus and southern Turkey, and was known to the Greeks and Romans as a symbol of happiness.

Marjoram is used for seasoning soups, stews, dressings, and sauce.

Mustard

Mustard plants are any of several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis . Mustard seed is used as a spice . Grinding and mixing the seeds with water , vinegar , or other liquids, creates the yellow condiment known as prepared mustard . The seeds can also be pressed to make mustard oil , and the edible leaves can be eaten as mustard greens .

Although some varieties of mustard plants were well-established crops in Hellenistic and Roman times, Zohary and Hopf note: "There are almost no archeological records available for any of these crops." Wild forms of mustard and its relatives, the radish and turnip , can be found over west Asia and Europe , suggesting their domestication took place somewhere in that area. However, Zohary and Hopf conclude: "Suggestions as to the origins of these plants are necessarily based on linguistic considerations."

Mild white mustard ( Sinapis hirta ) grows wild in North Africa , the Middle East , and Mediterranean Europe, and has spread farther by long cultivation ; oriental mustard ( Brassica juncea ), originally from the foothills of the Himalaya , is grown commercially in India , Canada , the UK , Denmark , and the US ; black mustard ( Brassica nigra) is grown in Argentina , Chile , the US and some European countries. Canada and Nepal are the world's major producers of mustard seed, between them accounting for around 57% of world production in 2010.

Recent research has studied varieties of mustards with high oil contents for use in the production of biodiesel , a renewable liquid fuel similar to diesel fuel . The biodiesel made from mustard oil has good cold flow properties and cetane ratings . The leftover meal after pressing out the oil has also been found to be an effective pesticide .

Oregano

Oregano ( US / É”Ë� Ëˆ r É› É¡ É™ n oÊŠ / or / É™ Ëˆ r É› É¡ É™ n oÊŠ / ; UK / ËŒ É’ r Éª Ëˆ É¡ É‘Ë� n oÊŠ / ; scientific name Origanum vulgare ) is a common species of Origanum , a genus of the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is native to warm- temperate western and southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region.

Oregano is a perennial herb , growing from 20â€“80 cm tall, with opposite leaves 1â€“4 cm long. Oregano will grow in a pH range between 6.0 (mildly acidic) and 9.0 (strongly alkaline) with a preferred range between 6.0 and 8.0. The flowers are purple, 3â€“4 mm long, produced in erect spikes. It is sometimes called wild marjoram , and its close relative O. majorana is known as sweet marjoram.

Oregano is related to the herb marjoram , sometimes being referred to as wild marjoram. Oregano has purple flowers and spade-shaped, olive-green leaves

Oregano is an important culinary herb, used for the flavour of its leaves, which can be more flavourful when dried than fresh. It has an aromatic , warm and slightly bitter taste, which can vary in intensity. Good-quality oregano may be strong enough almost to numb the tongue, but cultivars adapted to colder climates often have a lesser flavor. Factors such as climate, season, and soil composition may affect the aromatic oils present, and this effect may be greater than the differences between the various species of plants. Among the chemical compounds contributing to the flavour are carvacrol , thymol , limonene , pinene , ocimene , and caryophyllene .

Oregano's most prominent modern use is as the staple herb of Italian-American cuisine . Its popularity in the US began when soldiers returning from World War II brought back with them a taste for the â€œpizza herbâ€�, which had probably been eaten in southern Italy for centuries. There, it is most frequently used with roasted, fried or grilled vegetables, meat and fish. Oregano combines well with spicy foods popular in southern Italy. It is less commonly used in the north of the country, as marjoram generally is preferred.

The herb is widely used in cuisines of the Mediterranean Basin , Philippine and Latin America .

In Turkish cuisine, oregano is mostly used for flavoring meat, especially for mutton and lamb. In barbecue and kebab restaurants, it can be usually found as a condiment , together with paprika , salt and pepper.

The dried and ground leaves are most often used in Greece to add flavor to Greek salad , and is usually added to the lemon-olive oil sauce that accompanies fish or meat barbecues and casseroles .

Oregano is used in the southern Philippines to eliminate the odor of carabao or water buffalo when boiling it, while simultaneously imparting flavor.

Peppermint

Peppermint ( Mentha Ã— piperita , also known as M. balsamea Willd. ) is a hybrid mint , a cross between watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe and the Middle East , is now widespread in cultivation in many regions of the world. It is found wild occasionally with its parent species.

Peppermint typically occurs in moist habitats, including stream sides and drainage ditches. Being a hybrid, it is usually sterile , producing no seeds and reproducing only vegetatively , spreading by its rhizomes . If placed, it can grow anywhere, with a few exceptions.

Outside of its native range, areas where peppermint was formerly grown for oil often have an abundance of feral plants, and it is considered invasive in Australia , the GalÃ¡pagos Islands , New Zealand , and in the United States in the Great Lakes region, noted since 1843.

Pliny the elder, 79 AD, an ancient Roman author, natural philosopher and naval and military commander wrote Naturalis Historia . It tells us that the Greeks and Romans crowned themselves with peppermint at their feasts and adorned their tables with its sprays, and that their cooks flavoured both their sauces and their wines with its essence.

It is the oldest and most popular flavour of mint-flavoured confectionery and is often used in tea and for flavouring ice cream , confectionery , chewing gum , and toothpaste . Peppermint can also be found in some shampoos, soaps and skin care products.

Menthol activates cold-sensitive TRPM8 receptors in the skin and mucosal tissues, and is the primary source of the cooling sensation that follows the topical application of peppermint oil.

Peppermint flowers are large nectar producers and honey bees , as well as other nectar harvesting organisms, forage them heavily. A mild, pleasant varietal honey can be produced if there is a sufficient area of plants.

Peppermint oil is under preliminary research for its potential as a short-term treatment for irritable bowel syndrome .

According to the German Commission E monographs, peppermint oil (as well as peppermint leaf) has been used internally as an antispasmodic (upper gastrointestinal tract and bile ducts) and to treat irritable bowel syndrome, catarrh of the respiratory tract, and inflammation of the oral mucosa. Peppermint oil may also act as a carminative , cholagogue , antibacterial, and secretolytic, and it has a cooling action. Externally, peppermint oil has been used for muscle pain and nerve pain .

Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules (Colpermin) have been used as an orally administered antispasmodic premedication in colonoscopy . The capsules were found beneficial in reducing total procedure time, reducing colonic spasm, increasing endoscopist satisfaction and decreasing pain in patients during colonoscopy.

Peppermint has a long tradition of use in folk medicine and aromatherapy . Peppermint is commonly thought to soothe or treat symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, indigestion, irritable bowel, and bloating, although most of these effects have not been adequately demonstrated in human research.

The aroma of peppermint has been studied for its possible memory and alertness enhancing properties, although other research contests this.

Peppermint oil is also used in construction and plumbing to test for the tightness of pipes and disclose leaks by its odor.

Porulaca

Portulaca oleracea (common purslane, also known as verdolaga, pigweed, little hogweed, red root, pursley, and moss rose) is an annual succulent in the family Portulacaceae , which may reach 40 centimetres (16 in) in height.Approximately forty varieties currently are cultivated.

Although purslane is considered a weed in the United States , it may be eaten as a leaf vegetable . It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is eaten throughout much of Europe , the middle east , Asia , and Mexico . The stems, leaves and flower buds are all edible. Purslane may be used fresh as a salad , stir-fried , or cooked as spinach is, and because of its mucilaginous quality it also is suitable for soups and stews . The sour taste is due to malic acid, which is produced through the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) pathway that is seen in many xerophytes (plants living in dry conditions), and is maximal when the plant is harvested in the early morning.

Australian Aborigines use the seeds to make seedcakes . Greeks , who call it andrakla (αντράκλα) or glystrida (γλυστρίδα), use the leaves and the stems with feta cheese, tomato , onion , garlic , oregano , and olive oil , add it in salads, boil it, or add to casseroled chicken. In Turkey , besides being used in salads and in baked pastries, it is cooked as a vegetable similar to spinach. In Albania , known as burdullak , it is also used as a vegetable similar to spinach, mostly simmered and served in olive oil dressing, or mixed with other ingredients as a filling for dough layers of byrek . In the south of Portugal ( Alentejo ), baldroegas are used as a soup ingredient. In Pakistan , it is known as qulfa and cooked as in stews along with lentils like spinach or in a mixed green stew.

Known as Ma Chi Xian (pinyin: translates as "horse tooth amaranth") in traditional Chinese medicine . Its leaves are used for insect or snake bites on the skin, boils, sores, pain from bee stings, bacillary dysentery , diarrhea , hemorrhoids , postpartum bleeding, and intestinal bleeding.

Use is contrai.ndicated during pregnancy and for those with cold and weak digestion. Purslane is a clinically effective treatment for oral lichen planus.

Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis , commonly known as rosemary , is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen , needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region.It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae , which includes many other herbs. The name "rosemary" derives from the Latin for "dew" ( ros ) and "sea" ( marinus ), or "dew of the sea". The plant is also sometimes called anthos , from the ancient Greek word ἄνθος, meaning "flower". Rosemary has a fibrous root system.

According to legend, it was draped around the Greek goddess Aphrodite when she rose from the sea, born of Uranus 's semen . The Virgin Mary is said to have spread her blue cloak over a white-blossomed rosemary bush when she was resting, and the flowers turned blue. The shrub then became known as the "Rose of Mary".

Rosemary is used as a decorative plant in gardens where it may have pest control effects. The leaves are used to flavor various foods, such as stuffings and roast meats.

Fresh or dried leaves are used in traditional Italian cuisine . They have a bitter, astringent taste and a characteristic aroma which complements many cooked foods. Herbal tea can be made from the leaves. When roasted with meats or vegetables, the leaves impart a mustard -like aroma with an additional fragrance of charred wood compatible with barbecued foods.In amounts typically used to flavor foods, such as one teaspoon (1 gram), rosemary provides no nutritional value. Rosemary extract has been shown to improve the shelf life and heat stability of omega 3 -rich oils which are prone to rancidity .

Rosemary oil is used for purposes of fragrant bodily perfumes or to emit an aroma into a room. It is also burnt as incense, and used in shampoos and cleaning products.

Sage

   Salvia officinalis ( sage , also called garden sage , or common sage ) is a perennial, evergreen subshrub , with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the family Lamiaceae and is native to the Mediterranean region, though it has naturalized in many places throughout the world. It has a long history of medicinal and culinary use, and in modern times as an ornamental garden plant.

S. officinalis has numerous common names. Some of the best-known are sage, common sage, garden sage, golden sage, kitchen sage, true sage, culinary sage, Dalmatian sage, and broadleaf sage. Cultivated forms include purple sage and red sage. The specific epithet officinalis refers to plants with a well-established medicinal or culinary value.

In Britain, sage has for generations been listed as one of the essential herbs, along with parsley , rosemary and thyme (as in the folk song " Scarborough Fair "). It has a savory, slightly peppery flavor. It appears in many European cuisines, notably Italian, Balkan and Middle Eastern cookery. In Italian cuisine , it is an essential condiment for Saltimbocca and other dishes, favoured with fish. In British and American cooking, it is traditionally served as sage and onion stuffing, an accompaniment to roast turkey or chicken at Christmas or Thanksgiving Day . Other dishes include pork casserole , Sage Derby cheese and Lincolnshire sausages . Despite the common use of traditional and available herbs in French cuisine , sage never found favour there.

Common sage is grown in parts of Europe for distillation of an essential oil , though other species such as Salvia fruticosa may also be harvested and distilled with it. The essential oil contains cineole , borneol , and thujone . Sage leaf contains tannic acid , oleic acid , ursonic acid , ursolic acid , carnosol , carnosic acid , fumaric acid , chlorogenic acid , caffeic acid , niacin , nicotinamide , flavones , flavonoid glycosides , and estrogenic substances.

Salvia and "sage" are derived from the Latin salvere (to save), referring to the healing properties long attributed to the various Salvia species. It has been recommended at one time or another for virtually every ailment by various herbals.

In traditional Tamil Siddha medicine, sage (Karpooravalli) is used for respiratory ailments like asthma and alleviating nasal discharge associated with upper respiratory infections . Sage leaves are crushed in boiling water and the fumes are inhaled. In traditional Austrian medicine, S. officinalis herb has been used internally (as tea or directly chewed) for treatment of disorders of the respiratory tract, mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and skin. Investigations have taken place into using sage as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease patients. Sage leaf extract may be effective and safe in the treatment of hyperlipidemia .

A number of double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, balanced-crossover studies in healthy humans have demonstrated improved memory, attention/executive function, alertness and mood following single doses of cholinesterase -inhibiting sage extracts or essential oils. A single, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in a small cohort (n = 30) of Alzheimer's disease patients also demonstrated improved cognitive functioning and behavioral function (Clinical Dementia Rating) following a 16-week administration of a Salvia officinalis alcoholic tincture. According to Peter Rogers' team at Bristol University, researchers have concluded that extracts of sage can enhance cognitive performance. This was compared to the similar effect of the caffeine found in tea and coffee.

Sorrel

Common sorrel or garden sorrel ( Rumex acetosa ), often simply called sorrel , is a perennial herb in the family Polygonaceae . Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock . It is a common plant in grassland habitats and is cultivated as a garden herb or leaf vegetable (pot herb).

Sorrel is a slender herbaceous perennial plant about 60 centimetres (24 in) high, with roots that run deep into the ground, as well as juicy stems and edible, arrow-shaped ( sagittate ) leaves . The leaves, when consumed raw, taste like a sour green apple candy.

Common sorrel has been cultivated for centuries. The leaves may be puréed in soups and sauces or added to salads ; they have a flavour that is similar to kiwifruit or sour wild strawberries . The plant's sharp taste is due to oxalic acid , which is mildly toxic.

In northern Nigeria, sorrel is known as yakuwa or sure (pronounced suuray) in Hausa or karassu in Kanuri. It is also used in stews usually in addition to spinach. In some Hausa communities, it is steamed and made into salad using kuli-kuli (traditional roasted peanut cakes with oil extracted), salt, pepper, onion and tomatoes. The recipe varies according to different levels of household income. A drink called zobo (sorrel squash) is made from a decoction of the plant calyx.

In Romania, wild or garden sorrel, known as măcriş or ştevie , is used to make sour soups, stewed with spinach, added fresh to lettuce and spinach in salads or over open sandwiches.

In Russia and Ukraine it is called shchavel (щавель) and is used to make soup called green borscht . It is used as a soup ingredient in other countries, too (eg Lithuania , where it is known as rūgštynė ).

In Hungary the plant and its leaves are known as sóska ( Hungarian pronunciation ). It is called kuzukulağı ('lamb's ear') in Turkish. In Polish it is called szczaw .

In Croatia and Bulgaria is used for soups or with mashed potatoes, or as part of a traditional dish containing eel and other green herbs.

In rural Greece it is used with spinach, leeks, and chard in spanakopita .

In the Flemish part of Belgium it is called zurkel and preserved pureed sorrel is mixed with mashed potatoes and eaten with sausages, meatballs or fried bacon, as a traditional winter dish.

In Vietnam it is called Rau Chua and is used to added fresh to lettuce and in salads for Bánh Xēo .

In Portugal, it is called azeda or azeda-brava , "sour", "fierce sour"), and is usually eaten raw in salads or used to make soups. This is identical to its use in Brazil, under the name of azedinha ( "small/lovely tart").

In India, the leaves are called chukkakura in Telugu, and are used in making delicious recipes. Chukkakura pappu soup made with yellow lentils is also called toor dal in India.

In Albania it is called lëpjeta , the leaves are simmered and served cold marinated in olive oil, it is used in soups, and even as an ingredient for filling byrek pies ( byrek me lakra ).This name can be confused with the hibiscus calyces or hibiscus tea .

Summer savory

   Summer savory ( Satureja hortensis ) is the better known of the savory species. It is an annual, but otherwise is similar in use and flavor to the perennial winter savory . It is used more often than winter savory, which has a slightly more bitter flavor.

This herb has lilac tubular flowers which bloom in the northern hemisphere from July to September. It grows to around 30 to 60 cm (0.98 to 1.97 ft) in height and has very slender, bronze-green leaves.

Summer savory is a traditional popular herb in Atlantic Canada , where it is used in the same way sage is elsewhere. It is the main flavoring in dressing for many fowl, mixed with ground pork and other basic ingredients to create a thick meat dressing known as cretonnade ( cretonade ) which may be eaten with turkey, goose and duck. It also is used to make stews such as fricot , and in meat pies. It is usually available year-round in local grocery stores in dried form and is used in varying proportions, sometimes added to recipes in large generous heaping spoonfuls (such as in cretonnade ), and sometimes more subtly (as in beans, for which savory has a natural affinity). Summer savory is a characteristic ingredient of herbes de Provence , a fairly standard mixture of dried herbs sold in most US and Canadian stores which specialise in French foods. It is also widely used as a seasoning for grilled meats and barbecues, as well as in stews and sauces.

Summer savory is preferred over winter savory for use in sausages because of its sweeter, more delicate aroma. It plays an important role in Bulgarian cuisine , providing a strong and pungent flavor to the most simple and the most extravagant of dishes. Instead of salt and pepper, a Bulgarian table will have three condiments: salt , paprika , and savory. When these are mixed it is called "colorful salt" ( sharena sol , шарена сол).Summer savory is used in Romanian cuisine , especially in sarmale (stuffed cabbage or grape leaf rolls).

The plant is called Bohnenkraut in German , bonenkruid in Dutch , sarriette in French , santoreggia in Italian , ajedrea in Spanish, θρούμπι ( throúbi ) in Greek , cząber ogrodowy in Polish , чубрица ( chubritsa ) in Bulgarian , cimbru in Romanian , borsikafű in Hungarian and чубар ( čubar ) in Serbian .

Summer savory is raised from seeds, sown early in April, in shallow drills, 9 inches or a foot apart. Select a sunny situation and thin out the seedlings, when large enough, to 6 inches apart in the rows. It likes a rich, light soil.

The seeds may also be sown broadcast, when they must be thinned out, the thinned out seedlings being planted in another bed at 6 inches distance from each other and well watered. The seeds are very slow in germinating.The early spring seedlings may be first topped for fresh use in June. When the plants are in flower, they may be pulled up and dried for winter use.

Taraxacum

Taraxacum officinale , the common dandelion (often simply called " dandelion " ), is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae (Compositae).It can be found growing in temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks and shores of water ways, and other areas with moist soils. T. officinale is considered a weed, especially in lawns and along roadsides, but it is sometimes used as a medical herb and in food preparation. Common dandelion is well known for its yellow flower heads that turn into round balls of silver tufted fruits that disperse in the wind called "blowballs" or "clocks" (in both British and American English ).

While the dandelion is considered a weed by many gardeners and lawn owners, the plant has several culinary and medicinal uses. The specific name officinalis refers to its value as a medicinal herb, and is derived from the word opificina , later officina , meaning a workshop or pharmacy. The flowers are used to make dandelion wine , the greens are used in salads, the roots have been used to make a coffee substitute (when baked and ground into powder) and the plant was used by Native Americans as a food and medicine.

Dandelions are harvested from the wild or grown on a small scale as a leaf vegetable . The leaves (called dandelion greens) can be eaten cooked or raw in various forms, such as in soup or salad . They are probably closest in character to mustard greens. Usually the young leaves and unopened buds are eaten raw in salads, while older leaves are cooked. Raw leaves have a slightly bitter taste. Dandelion salad is often accompanied with hard boiled eggs . The leaves are high in beta-carotene , vitamin C and iron , carrying more iron and calcium than spinach .

Dandelion flowers can be used to make dandelion wine , for which there are many recipes. Most of these are more accurately described as "dandelion-flavored wine," as some other sort of fermented juice or extract serves as the main ingredient. It has also been used in a saison ale called Pissenlit (the French word for dandelion, literally meaning "wet the bed") made by Brasserie Fantôme in Belgium . Dandelion and burdock is a soft drink that has long been popular in the United Kingdom .

Another recipe using the plant is dandelion flower jam. In Silesia and also other parts of Poland and world, dandelion flowers are used to make a honey substitute syrup with added lemon (so-called May-honey ). Ground roasted dandelion root can be used as a non-caffeinated coffee substitute .

Historically, dandelion was prized for a variety of medicinal properties, and it contains a wide number of pharmacologically active compounds. Dandelion has been used as an herbal remedy in Europe, North America and China . "Empiric traditional application in humans of dandelion, in particular to treat digestive disorders, is supported by pharmacological investigations. ... Some results, eg concerning possible diuretic activity, are even contradictory and require a thorough reinvestigation."

It has been used in herbal medicine to treat infections, bile and liver problems, and as a diuretic. Dandelion root is a registered drug in Canada , sold principally as a diuretic . Dandelion is used in herbal medicine as a mild laxative , for increasing appetite, and for improving digestion. The milky latex has been used as a mosquito repellent and as a folk remedy to treat warts. With very low or even no toxicity at all, T. officinale can be used as a drink like tea on a daily basis. Yellow or green dye colors can be obtained from the flowers but little color can be obtained from the roots of the plant.

Tarragone

Tarragon ( Artemisia dracunculus ) is a species of perennial herb in the sunflower family . It is widespread in the wild across much of Eurasia and North America , and is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes in many lands.

Tarragon is one of the four fines herbes of French cooking , and is particularly suitable for chicken, fish and egg dishes. Tarragon is the main flavoring component of Béarnaise sauce . Fresh, lightly bruised sprigs of tarragon are steeped in vinegar to produce tarragon vinegar.

Tarragon is used to flavor a popular carbonated soft drink in the countries of Armenia , Azerbaijan , Georgia and, by extension, Russia , Ukraine and Kazakhstan . The drink, named Tarhun ( Armenian pronunciation: Թարխուն ), is made out of sugary tarragon concentrate and colored bright green.In Iran , tarragon is used as a side dish in sabzi khordan (fresh herbs), or in stews and in Persian style pickles, particularly 'khiar shoor'.In Slovenia , tarragon is used in a variation of the traditional nut roll sweet cake, called potica . In Hungary a popular kind of chicken soup is flavored with tarragon.

Cis -Pellitorin , an isobutyramide eliciting a pungent taste, has been isolated from the tarragon plant.

Thyme

Thyme is an evergreen herb with culinary, medicinal and ornamental uses. The most common variety is Thymus vulgaris . Thyme is of the genus Thymus of the mint family (Lamiaceae), and a relative of the Oregano genus Origanum .

Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming . The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage . The spread of thyme throughout Europe was thought to be due to the Romans , as they used it to purify their rooms and to "give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs". In the European Middle Ages , the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares. In this period, women would also often give knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves, as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thyme was also used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals , as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.

Thyme is best cultivated in a hot, sunny location with well drained soil. It is generally planted in the spring, and thereafter grows as a perennial . It can be propagated by seed, cuttings or by dividing rooted sections of the plant. It tolerates drought well. The plants can take deep freezes and are found growing wild on mountain highlands. Along the Riviera, it is found from sea level up to 800 m.

In some Levantine countries, and Assyrian, the condiment za'atar ( Arabic for thyme) contains thyme as a vital ingredient. It is a common component of the bouquet garni , and of herbes de Provence .

Thyme is sold both fresh and dried. While summer-seasonal, fresh greenhouse thyme is often available year round. The fresh form is more flavourful, but also less convenient; storage life is rarely more than a week. Although the fresh form only lasts a week or two under refrigeration, it can last many months if carefully frozen.

Fresh thyme is commonly sold in bunches of sprigs. A sprig is a single stem snipped from the plant. It is composed of a woody stem with paired leaf or flower clusters ("leaves") spaced 1 ⁄ 2 to 1" apart. A recipe may measure thyme by the bunch (or fraction thereof), or by the sprig, or by the tablespoon or teaspoon. Dried thyme is widely used in Armenia in teas (called Urc).

Depending on how it is used in a dish, the whole sprig may be used (eg in a bouquet garni ), or the leaves removed and the stems discarded. Usually when a recipe specifies "bunch" or "sprig", it means the whole form; when it specifies spoons it means the leaves. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute dried for whole thyme.Leaves may be removed from stems either by scraping with the back of a knife, or by pulling through the fingers or tines of a fork.

Thyme retains its flavour on drying better than many other herbs. Substitution is often more complicated than that because recipes can specify sprigs, and sprigs can vary in yield of leaves.

Oil of thyme , the essential oil of common thyme ( Thymus vulgaris ), contains 20–54% thymol .Thymol, an antiseptic , is an active ingredient in various commercially produced mouthwashes such as Listerine . Before the advent of modern antibiotics , oil of thyme was used to medicate bandages. Thymol has also been shown to be effective against various fungi that commonly infect toenails . Thymol can also be found as the active ingredient in some all-natural, alcohol-free hand sanitizers .A tea made by infusing the herb in water can be used for coughs and bronchitis .

Tordylium apulum

Tordylium apulum, commonly known as the Mediterranean hartwort, is an annual forb or herb. It is classified within the family Apiaceae, the carrot family. It is located in a range from Europe to west Asia, but was introduced to the United States, where it is now found only in Arizona.

The Mediterranean hartwort usually grows to 20-50 centimeters in height. It has an erect stem that is branched with soft, spreading hairs at the base, and scattered hairs along the rest of the stem. The leaves are softly hairy and pinnate, with the lower leaves being oval with toothed segments, and the upper leaves having linear segments. It has 2-8 primary rays. The marginal flowers each have 1 white petal, enlarged, and uniformly deeply 2-lobed. The bracts and bracteoles are linear long-pointed with spreading hairs. The fruit is orbicular and flattened, and usually is 5-8 millimeters in size.[1]

Mediterranean hartwort is located in cultivated beds, waste land, and waysides. The plant prefers sandy, loamy and clay soils. Hartworts also prefer acid, neutral and basic soils. It cannot grow in the shade.[2]

Mediterranean hartwort does have edible leaves.Is wild grass of excellent quality, with a pleasant aroma. Most used in the preparation of pie and spice, but eaten alone or cooked with other herbs. In Italy it is used as a condiment. The essential oil composition of aerial parts of Tordylium apulum L. from Italy was analyzed. Sixty-seven compounds were identified representing 96.5% of the oil. The most abundant compounds were (E)-β-ocimene (17.3), α-humulene (11.4%) and octyl octanoate (8.8%). Essential oil from aerial parts of T. apulum from Greece was reported to have α-humulene (28.7%) and octyl hexanoate (11.7%) as the main constituents.

Wild fenel

Fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ) is a flowering plant species in the carrot family . It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves . It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea-coast and on riverbanks.It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal uses and, along with the similar-tasting anise , is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe . Florence fennel or finocchio is a selection with a swollen, bulb-like stem base that is used as a vegetable.

The bulb, foliage, and seeds of the fennel plant are used in many of the culinary traditions of the world. The small flowers of wild fennel (known as fennel "pollen" ) are the most potent form of fennel, but also the most expensive. Dried fennel seed is an aromatic, anise-flavored spice , brown or green in color when fresh, slowly turning a dull grey as the seed ages. For cooking, green seeds are optimal. The leaves are delicately flavored and similar in shape to those of dill. The bulb is a crisp vegetable that can be sautéed, stewed, braised, grilled, or eaten raw. Young tender leaves are used for garnishes, as a salad, to add flavor to salads, to flavor sauces to be served with puddings, and also in soups and fish sauce.

Fennel seeds are sometimes confused with those of anise , which are similar in taste and appearance, though smaller. Fennel is also used as a flavoring in some natural toothpastes . The seeds are used in cookery and sweet desserts.

Many cultures in India and Pakistan (where it is known as saunf in Hindi ), Afghanistan , Iran , and the Middle East use fennel seed in their cookery. It is one of the most important spices in Kashmiri Pandit and Gujarati cooking . It is an essential ingredient of the Assamese / Bengali / Oriya spice mixture panch phoron and in Chinese five-spice powders . In many parts of India and Pakistan, roasted fennel seeds are consumed as mukhwas , an after-meal digestive and breath freshener.

Fennel leaves are used in some parts of India as leafy green vegetables either by themselves or mixed with other vegetables, cooked to be served and consumed as part of a meal. In Syria and Lebanon , the young leaves are used to make a special kind of egg omelette (along with onions and flour) called ijjeh .

Many egg , fish , and other dishes employ fresh or dried fennel leaves. Florence fennel is a key ingredient in some Italian and German salads , often tossed with chicory and avocado , or it can be braised and served as a warm side dish. It may be blanched or marinated , or cooked in risotto.Fennel seeds are the primary flavor component in Italian sausage .In Spain, the stems of the fennel plant are used in the preparation of pickled eggplants, berenjenas de Almagro .An herbal tea or tisane can be made from fennel. On account of its aromatic properties, fennel fruit forms one of the ingredients of the well-known compound liquorice powder.In the Indian subcontinent, fennel seeds are also eaten raw, sometimes with a sweetener.

Fennel is one of the plants which is said to be disliked by fleas , and powdered fennel has the effect of driving away fleas from kennels and stables.

garden shop

Welcome !

Φωτογραφία + κειμενο

Δευτέρα 22 Φεβρουαρίου 2016

Σάββατο 30 Ιανουαρίου 2016

Παρασκευή 29 Ιανουαρίου 2016

Πέμπτη 7 Ιανουαρίου 2016

form

Κυριακή 27 Δεκεμβρίου 2015

bar2

bar

bar down

Φόρμα επικοινωνίας