Echinacea is an herb in the Asteraceae family with a reputation as a medicine that goes back centuries. It is American in origin and was widely used by Native American tribes in the Great Plains for treating numerous ailments. The roots and the leaves of the plant are beneficial for health and contain many of […]
Orange Mint: A Citrus-Flavored Mint Hybrid
Orange mint is a cultivar of Mentha piperita citrata, making it a relative of peppermint. Mint herbs are native to the Mediterranean region but have been nativized first throughout Europe and then the world. Mint has been prized for much of recorded human history with the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. The Egyptians used the […]
Echinacea: A Native American Cure-All
Echinacea is native to North America and was used by Native Americans for its range of medicinal benefits. Archaeological digs have found evidence of echinacea use by the Lakota Sioux dating back to the 17th century. The Sioux were said to use it to treat syphilis. Other tribes known to have used echinacea include the […]
Sorrel Vs. Hibiscus: SPICEography Showdown
Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) are unrelated plants that have a few things in common but a lot of differences. Here’s where things can get confusing: hibiscus is called sorrel in some parts of the world. If you are attempting to use one or the other, it is important to know how the […]
Sweet Woodruff: A Sweet-Scented Dessert And Beverage Herb
Sweet woodruff was being used as an air freshener back in the 1500s according to historical records. Other names for it include sweet-scented bedstraw, quinsywort and woodrow. The herb is native to Europe, parts of Asia and Northern Africa; sweet woodruff has also become naturalized in some parts of North America. In the Medieval era, […]
Moroccan Mint: North Africa’s Beloved Tea Herb
Moroccan mint is a variety of spearmint. Moroccan mint’s botanical name is Mentha spicata var. Crispa, which is the mint variety used in Morocco. Other names for Moroccan mint include curly mint because of the frilly shape of the leaves. You may also hear it called Maghrebi mint or nana mint. Maghrebi refers to the part […]
Cooking With Summer Savory: The Dos And Don’ts
Summer savory is a versatile herb with a flavor profile that is indicated by its name — it is known for making dishes more savory. If you have experience with other strong herbs like oregano and thyme, you can think of summer savory as falling into the same category. Here are some of the dos […]
Pickling Salt Vs. Sea Salt: SPICEography Showdown
Pickling salt and sea salt are chemically similar and taste a lot alike. Both will make your food salty; however, there are some key differences in how you should use them. Let’s look at how they compare in this SPICEography Showdown. How does pickling salt differ from sea salt? Grain-size is the area where the […]
Chocolate Mint: A Controversial Mint
Chocolate mint is a mint hybrid that may have originated in the same places from which the Mentha genus is thought to have come. The possible locations of chocolate mint’s origin are Europe, Africa, or Asia. In other words, there isn’t a lot of precise information about chocolate mint’s beginnings. Some botanists believe it to […]
What’s A Good Winter Savory Substitute?
Winter savory is a valuable herb for bean dishes and you can use it to season a variety of different meats, poultry in particular. Its main downside is that unless you plan to grow it yourself, you will probably have a hard time finding it. If you want some good winter savory substitutes, here are […]