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Herbs and Herbal Remedies
Herbal
Books For a quick check list of
herbs & medicinal uses: herbal therapy
Foxglove
Here is a sample of herbs you might find useful for your herbal remedies.
more on
herbal therapy
Foxglove
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, synonym C. verum) is a small evergreen tree
10-15 m tall, belonging to the family Lauraceae, and a spice obtained from the
inner bark of this species. It is native to Sri Lanka. The leaves are
ovate-oblong in shape, 7-18 cm long. The flowers, which are arranged in
panicles, have a greenish colour and a rather disagreeable odour. The fruit is a
purple 1 cm berry containing a single seed. Cinnamon is principally employed in
cookery as a condiment and flavouring material, being largely used in the
preparation of some kinds of chocolate and liqueurs, also
cinnamon quills and ground cinnamon. In medicine it acts like
other volatile oils and once had a reputation as a "cure" for
colds. The pungent
taste and scent come from cinnamic aldehyde or cinnamaldehyde.
Foxglove
Fenugreek is used both as a herb (the leaves) and a spice
(the seed). The yellow, rhombic fenugreek seed is frequently used in the
preparation of pickles, curry powders and pastes, and is often encountered in
the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent and Thailand. The young leaves and
sprouts of fenugreek are eaten as greens and the fresh or dried leaves are used
to flavor other dishes. Fenugreek is also one of four herbs used for the Iranian
recipe Ghormeh Sabzi. A side effect of consuming even small amounts of fenugreek
is a maple syrup or curry smell in the eater's sweat and urine which is caused
by the potent aroma compound sotolone. Fenugreek is frequently used in the
production of flavoring for artificial syrups. The taste of toasted fenugreek is
additionally based on substituted pyrazines, as is cumin. By itself, it has a
somewhat bitter taste. Fenugreek seed is widely used as a galactagogue (milk
producing agent) by nursing mothers to increase inadequate breast milk supply.
It can be found in capsule form in many health food stores.
Foxglove
Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is a spicy, Mediterranean,
perennial herb, particularly common in Greek and Italian cuisines. It is the
leaves that are used in cooking, and the dried herb is often more flavourful
than the fresh. Oregano is a conditio sine qua non in Italian cuisine, where it
is used for tomato sauces, fried vegetables and grilled meat. Together with
basil, it makes up for the character of Italian dishes; see parsley on Italian
variants of bouquet garni. Oregano can effectively combined with pickled olives
and capers or lovage leaves; other than most Italian herbs, oregano harmonizes
even with hot and spicy food, as is popular in Southern Italy. The cuisines of
other Mediterranean countries make less use of it, but it is of some importance
for Spanish, French and Greek cooking.
Foxglove
Spearmint (Mentha spicata, syn M. viridis), the mint variety
most commonly used in cooking, yields an aromatic and carminative oil, referred
to as "oil of spearmint". Many people use the name "scotch spearmint" for
gingermint (Mentha x gracilis, syn M. cardiaca), a hybrid of spearmint and wild
mint (Mentha arvensis). Spearmint takes its name from its crinkled leaves, which
resemble the shape of the blade of a spear. It has oblong, lanceolate,
sub-acute, serrate leaves, and slender spikes of flowers. It grows in watery
places. In herbalism, spearmint is steeped as tea for treatment of stomach ache.
Foxglove
Indian Muntock White Peppercorns are actually the insides of
shelled black peppercorns. They have a lighter flavour, less spicy and warm than
the black, with a characteristic aroma. Indian Muntock are allowed to ripen for
longer on the vine, then soaked in water. When the black shell is removed it
leaves a pepper with a lightly fermented flavour, and mild smooth taste.
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Herbal Remedies
Herbal
Books
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