ROSEMARY
Rosemary is a powerful herb that originated in the Mediterranean region. It's name comes from the Latin "ros marinus", which means "dew of the sea", due to the fact that it was first found growing along the Mediterranean coastline. Rosemary has been used for thousands of years in cooking and in medicine and it is famed for its ability to stimulate the mind, enhance the memory and improve concentration.
Hardy in appearance, it somewhat resembles the pine needles of a fir tree rather than a cooking herb. The needles of Rosemary, which is a member of the mint family, are extremely pungent, making this herb favourable for bold meat dishes such as stews or roasted meats. It is an excellent flavouring for lamb, pork and chicken in particular, but should be used sparingly as it's strong flavor can easily over-power a dish.
In the Mediterranean cooking where some cooks could not cook certain meats without it. Rosemary is very strong in flavour and should therefore be used sparingly.
Rosemary is one of the few herbs that dry really well, due to the fact that it has a lot of oil contained in its leaves. Therefore, rosemary can be used fresh or dried in cooking, with equal results either way, of a strong and flavoursome taste. In some cases, dried rosemary is actually more pungent than fresh rosemary and should not be used as liberally as the fresh version, so that the dish is not overpowered.
Rosemary has been used both medicinally and cosmetically for several thousands of years. In various civilisations, rosemary has been the symbol for many important qualities such as loyalty between friends, remembrance, love and faithfulness and even love and death.
It was not uncommon to see Greek and Roman students wearing a garland or braid of rosemary in their hair, whilst studying for and taking exams.
Herbalists have used rosemary for centuries to treat a number of skin complaints as well as a pick-me-up tonic when feeling anxious, nervous or depressed.
In the late 14th century, Hungary water was invented. This was a tonic made famous by Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, which was made from rosemary oil amongst other ingredients. As the story goes, she washed her face with the tonic and drank a few spoonfuls of it every day. After carrying out this daily ritual for many years, it seemed that the Queen had barely aged, as her skin still had such a soft and youthful appearance. Apparently, she was asked for her hand in marriage by the King of Poland when she was a mere 72 years old.
Rosemary is a herb that contains plenty of vitamins and minerals. Fresh and dried rosemary contain the same nutrients but vary in quantities. For example, fresh rosemary is a good source of manganese, however, when dried, some of manganese is lost through the drying process. On the other hand, dried rosemary contains a significantly higher amount of calcium and iron.
Fresh rosemary, which is used in larger quantities than dried rosemary, is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, folate and manganese. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium and copper.
Fresh rosemary and dried can be bought from your local supermarket. Fresh rosemary should be stored in the original packaging or wrapped in a damp paper towel and kept in the refrigerator.
When cooking with rosemary, you must first remove the needles from the stalks and discard the stalks. Some people prefer the needles to be finely chopped or crushed with a pestle and mortar before using. Alternatively, whole sprigs of rosemary can be added to a soup or stew to give it flavor during cooking, but must be removed before serving.
Hardy in appearance, it somewhat resembles the pine needles of a fir tree rather than a cooking herb. The needles of Rosemary, which is a member of the mint family, are extremely pungent, making this herb favourable for bold meat dishes such as stews or roasted meats. It is an excellent flavouring for lamb, pork and chicken in particular, but should be used sparingly as it's strong flavor can easily over-power a dish.
In the Mediterranean cooking where some cooks could not cook certain meats without it. Rosemary is very strong in flavour and should therefore be used sparingly.
Rosemary is one of the few herbs that dry really well, due to the fact that it has a lot of oil contained in its leaves. Therefore, rosemary can be used fresh or dried in cooking, with equal results either way, of a strong and flavoursome taste. In some cases, dried rosemary is actually more pungent than fresh rosemary and should not be used as liberally as the fresh version, so that the dish is not overpowered.
Rosemary has been used both medicinally and cosmetically for several thousands of years. In various civilisations, rosemary has been the symbol for many important qualities such as loyalty between friends, remembrance, love and faithfulness and even love and death.
It was not uncommon to see Greek and Roman students wearing a garland or braid of rosemary in their hair, whilst studying for and taking exams.
Herbalists have used rosemary for centuries to treat a number of skin complaints as well as a pick-me-up tonic when feeling anxious, nervous or depressed.
In the late 14th century, Hungary water was invented. This was a tonic made famous by Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, which was made from rosemary oil amongst other ingredients. As the story goes, she washed her face with the tonic and drank a few spoonfuls of it every day. After carrying out this daily ritual for many years, it seemed that the Queen had barely aged, as her skin still had such a soft and youthful appearance. Apparently, she was asked for her hand in marriage by the King of Poland when she was a mere 72 years old.
Rosemary is a herb that contains plenty of vitamins and minerals. Fresh and dried rosemary contain the same nutrients but vary in quantities. For example, fresh rosemary is a good source of manganese, however, when dried, some of manganese is lost through the drying process. On the other hand, dried rosemary contains a significantly higher amount of calcium and iron.
Fresh rosemary, which is used in larger quantities than dried rosemary, is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, folate and manganese. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium and copper.
Fresh rosemary and dried can be bought from your local supermarket. Fresh rosemary should be stored in the original packaging or wrapped in a damp paper towel and kept in the refrigerator.
When cooking with rosemary, you must first remove the needles from the stalks and discard the stalks. Some people prefer the needles to be finely chopped or crushed with a pestle and mortar before using. Alternatively, whole sprigs of rosemary can be added to a soup or stew to give it flavor during cooking, but must be removed before serving.