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Herbs and Herbal Remedies
Herbal
Books For a quick check list of
herbs & medicinal uses: herbal therapy
Lovage
Here is a sample of herbs you might find useful for your herbal remedies.
more on
herbal therapy
Lovage
Caraway seeds are crescent-shaped and around 2 mm long, with five pale
ridges. The seed, usually used whole, has a pungent, anise-like flavor. The
aroma comes from essential oils, mostly carvone and limonene. Caraway seed oil
is also used as a fragrance component in soaps, lotions, and perfumes. The plant
looks similar to a carrot plant, with finely divided, feathery leaves with
thread-like divisions, growing on 20-30 cm stems. The main flower stem is 40-60
cm tall, with white or pink flowers in umbels. The roots may be cooked like
parsnips or carrots. It prefers sun and well-drained soil.
Lovage
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.
Lovage
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.
Lovage
Thyme (Thymus) is a genus of about 350 species of aromatic
perennial herbs and sub-shrubs to 40 cm tall, in the family Lamiaceae. They are
native to Europe, north Africa and Asia. The stems are thin and wiry; the leaves
are evergreen in most species, arranged in opposite pairs, oval, entire, and
small, 4-20 mm long. The flowers are in dense terminal heads, with an uneven
calyx, with the upper lip three-lobed, and the lower cleft; the corolla is
tubular, 4-10 mm long, and white, pink or purple. Common Thyme, aka Garden
Thyme, T. vulgaris is a very commonly used culinary herb. It is a Mediterranean
perennial which is best suited to well-drained soils and enjoys full sun.
Lovage
From Indonesia, Lampong peppercorns are picked early, and
have a sharp heat. Break up well and are sometimes used to contrast against
whites or pinks as they grind effectively.
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a
flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is
usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The same fruit is also used to
produce white pepper and green pepper.[1] Black pepper is native to South India
and is extensively cultivated there and elsewhere in tropical regions. The
fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is a small drupe five millimetres in
diameter, dark red when fully mature, containing a single seed.
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Herbal Remedies
Herbal
Books
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