Rosemary
Rosemary (Rosmarinus
officinalis) is a relative to the mint family and the name is
derived from its Latin origin to mean "dew of the sea." Rosemary is
very common in Mediterranean cuisine and has somewhat of a bitter
astringent taste to it. While that is true it compliments oily foods
very nicely. A tisane or infusion can be made from the Rosemary
leaves and that is also very popular when cooking. First it is
burned and then added to a BBQ to flavor various foods.
Rosemary has a high nutritional value to it and is rich in iron,
calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc
and vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3, B-6, C and E and is more nutritional in
its dried form rather than fresh. Rosemary should be harvested just
as you are going to use it because it loses its flavor once dried.
Gardner's say that if you plant some Rosemary plants in your garden,
the Rosemary will fend off moths, beetles, and carrot flies.
Older Europeans loved Rosemary and believed that it improved memory
and also used it as a symbol of remembrance and was often tossed
into fresh graves before they were buried over. Traditionally it has
been said that Rosemary, left untrimmed, would grow for thirty three
years where it will reach the height of Christ when he was
crucified. Many would also place sprigs of Rosemary underneath their
pillows to ward of evil and nightmares. Often the wood that comes
from the stems of the Rosemary plant was used to make musical
instruments. Remember that people back then liked to utilize every
piece of something as not to waste. Today, many wreaths are made
from Rosemary as a symbol of remembrance.
Today, Rosemary is still used for many things besides cooking as it
is in potpourris, air fresheners, shampoos, and cosmetics. There has
also been scientific evidence that Rosemary works very well as a
memory stimulant. It improves circulation to the brain. Rosemary has
also shown some cancer and tumor prevention properties in animals.
Rosemary has shown a strong relationship in relaxing muscles, and to
soothe stomach upset by stimulating circulation and digestion as
well as helping with menstrual cramps.
The main thing to remember when using Rosemary for this purpose is
that if you use too much it can actually cause a counter effect.
Rosemary should not be used by women during pregnancy.
When made into a tea it is ingested for calming nerves and anxiety
and as an antiseptic. Rosemary when used as a tea many people find
to taste very good. To make tea from Rosemary just pour boiling
water over the leaves and steep for 10-15 minutes. A little sugar
can be added by you should not add any cream. A few sprigs can be
added to oils and vinegars to flavor the products which add a nice
taste for cooking.
When used cosmetically it can lighten and tone human hair and when
mixed with equal parts of shampoo it has been known to strengthen
hair too. It also makes for a nice additive in hot bath water.
Rosemary is still used quite commonly today however more so for
cooking than anything else.
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