Rosemary

Rosemary 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 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. Sage, unlike many other herbs has a high nutritional value to it and is rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin B-6 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 truly loses its flavor once dried. Gardner’s swear that if you plant some Rosemary plants in and around 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. Rosemary has also shown some cancer prevention properties in animals. But further Rosemary has shown a strong relationship in relaxing muscles, and to soothe stomach upset as well as 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.

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. Making the tea from Rosemary is quite simple actually, 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.

Gypsywort

Gypsywort is an herbal plant that but has no culinary purposes at all but rather is used for industrial and medicinal purposes. This plant originated in Europe and Northwest Asia. Gypsywort’s most important properties come from the stem and the leaves. These were used for the astringents, sedatives, anxiety, tuberculosis, and heart palpitations. Industrially, Gypsywort was extremely beneficial in making a permanent black dye. Oddly enough that is how it got its name, the Gypsies were said to have stained their skin with this black dye like substance so they would resemble Africans or Egyptians while they were performing their “magic.”

Gypsywort is also called Lycopus europaeus; it has no known hazards and usually grows near rivers, streams and ravines. You will likely find this plant from June to September but the seeds are the most ripe between August and October. A unique physical characteristic of this plant is that is has both male and female organs so it self fertile, pollinated by insects and bees. In a survival situation, the root of the Gypsywort could be eaten raw or cooked.

The flowers of this plant are used for astringents and sedatives but also have an iodine property to it that is commonly used for hyperthyroidism. The entire plant has been known to slow and strengthen heart contractions, treat coughs and bleeding from the lungs, and excessive periods, and the leaves are great for cleaning wounds. Heart disturbances and nervousness can be eased by the use of Gypsywort. The part that is rendered for use is the flowering plant itself and the best time to gather these is June - September. It is a sedative, because it reduces the pulse rate in conditions involving an overactive thyroid gland by reducing the activity of iodine. It was once prescribed for hyperthyroidism and related disorders such as Basedow’s disease.

Gypsywort can be purchased at your local herbal supplement store or ordered online and does have some outstanding benefits although not much culinary use. It is a very uncommon and not very often spoken about form of herb. Some use it with aromatherapy and a mixture of many other oils and fragrances. Bugleweed is very closely related to Gypsywort and for medicinal purposes the two are very often closely linked to each other.

The juice of the Bugleweed can also be used as a dye. The two could also be twins in the family of herbs. The rarity of this particular herb in underestimated and often undervalued. With the research that is being done each year on various herbs and their contribution to the medical field maybe one day people will hear more about this herb that remains quite a mystery to most.

Many of the other herbs that can provide similar benefits as the Gypsywort are becoming extinct because they are over harvested and over used so it could be extremely beneficial to utilize much rarer herbs that can often bring forth some of the same benefits as others. Gypsywort just might be one of the herbs that would fall into this category.