Rosemary, cut, organic-100g

Rosmarinus officinalis L., leaves cut, certified organic cultivation

History:

Rosemary was already highly valued in the Mediterranean region in ancient times. It was dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Troubadours presented rosemary to the lady of their choice, Ophelia tied a rosemary wreath to Hamlet as a sign of her fidelity and in Germany brides wore a rosemary wreath for a long time before myrtle came into fashion. In some areas rosemary is still used today as a bridal bouquet. The Egyptians gave rosemary twigs to their dead to sweeten their journey to the land of immortal souls with its fragrance; in Greece, rosemary wreaths were made for the dead. Branches of rosemary were placed in the cradle of small children to protect them. In literature, rosemary appears as a plant for the dead in Shakespeare and Hebel. As "Hungarian Queen's Spirit" or "Hungarian Water", rosemary essential oil dissolved in spirits of wine became one of the first perfumes. Allegedly, it helped the paralysed 72-year-old Queen of Hungary to such great youth and beauty that the King of Poland asked for her hand in marriage. Even today, perfumes contain rosemary essences. In the first century AD, rosemary was introduced to Central Europe by monks. In the monasteries of that time, it was considered an important medicinal plant. It was not only recommended for all kinds of complaints, but also to strengthen the potency. Dioscorides mentions that rosemary has a warming power. When boiled in goat's milk, rosemary was said to help against tuberculosis, and externally the milk was used against skin cancer. The name "rosemary" is of Latin origin and means "dew of the sea". Morning arm baths in water with rosemary essential oil can work small miracles. But it also has a wide range of other effects. With its stimulating effect, it is relatively rare among medicinal herbs, which is why it plays an important role in the treatment of low blood pressure. Garden owners should not do without it, for it is not only an ornament to the rock or herb garden but also a whole natural medicine cabinet combined in one medicinal plant. In the plant sector, rosemary brewed as a tea has an antifungal effect on various harmful fungi and can thus be used as a home plant protection or strengthening agent.

Occurrence:

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region and was introduced to Central Europe as early as the first century AD and is also popular in Germany. The medicinal plant grows wild in the western and central Mediterranean to North Africa, especially in coastal regions from Portugal to the Ionian Sea. The species has also been cultivated in the eastern Mediterranean region and on the Black Sea since ancient times and occasionally occurs wild, sometimes even forming populations, e.g. on Santorini. Rosemary prefers sunny, dry, lime-rich sites. Rosemary is often cultivated as an ornamental and spice plant.

Plant family:

Labiates = Lamiaceae

Colloquial names:

Rosemary (engl), Antonkraut, bridal gown, bridal herb, Hochzeitsbleaml, Kid, Krankraut, Kranzenkraut, Meertau, Reslmarie, Rosmarein, Rosmarie, Weihrauchkraut.

Botanical description:

This perennial medicinal plant is a 0.5- 2 m tall, evergreen, bushy branched semi-shrub with needle-like leaves and has an intensely aromatic scent. It is not entirely hardy, except for special varieties, so in Central Europe it is mostly grown in tubs. The branches are brown and mostly upright. Older branches have flaking bark. The narrow, linear leaves are evergreen, so they do not fall off even in winter. On top they are deep green and wrinkled and covered with a protective skin, on the underside of the leaf white to greyish hairs. The edges are rolled downwards. This protects the leaf from drying out. These leaves grow opposite each other directly on the twigs, are quite hard and have a strong balsamic scent, similar to camphor. Because of this scent, rosemary was sometimes used as a substitute for incense, which earned it the name "incense herb". Between March and May, and sometimes in September, rosemary blooms with light blue lipped flowers. The flowers are arranged in whorls in the leaf axils and can appear all year round. When cultivating this medicinal herb, waterlogging should be avoided.

Applied plant part: Leaves, flowers

Active substance/gathering time:

April / May (before flowering) The leaves are best collected just before flowering, as they are most rich in content then.

However, you can also collect the flowering herb or only the flowers. The collected leaves or flowers should be dried quickly but gently. Gentle drying is important so that the essential oils do not evaporate. For use in the kitchen, you can cut off the fresh shoot tips of rosemary all year round. In winter, however, you should be modest about doing so, because the plant does not grow again until spring.

Ingredients:

Essential oils, such as terpenes: camphor, cineole, borneol, bornyl acetate, carnosol, terpineol, thymol, verbanol, tannic acid, bitter substances, beta- sitosterol, flavonoids, salicylates, saponins, resins.