Sow thistle’s origins lie in Western Asia and Europe. From its home continents, it would eventually make its way all over the world. The common name comes from the fact that pigs are attracted to it. Nicknames for it include hare thistle and hare lettuce because one popular way to use it is as rabbit […]
Catmint: An Herb For Cats And Humans
The Nepeta genus to which catmint belongs gets its name from the city of Nepete in Etruria. Nepete is now known as Nepi. Before Rome’s rise, the country of Etruria was the center of Etruscan civilization. There are over 200 plants in the Nepeta genus. Catmint is a close relative of catnip, a herb that […]
Garlic Scapes: A Unique Source Of Garlic Flavor
Garlic scapes are the green shoots of the garlic plant. Garlic has been used as food for thousands of years. It is one of the first plants to be cultivated and the Ancient Egyptians revered it. The Egyptians used garlic to feed workers, and a shortage of garlic was known to cause work stoppages among […]
Watercress: The Original Leafy Green
Watercress is an aquatic herb that came initially from Eurasia, but you can now find it growing all over North America. It belongs to the Brassicaceae family to which cabbage and mustard also belong. Watercress is believed to be one of the first leafy vegetables consumed by humans. The Ancient Egyptians used watercress along with […]
Pineapple Sage: Sage With A Hint Of Tropical Fruit
Pineapple sage is known by other various names, including its botanical name Salvia elegans. It is called tangerine sage in some places. It has been cultivated since 1870 and was given the name Salvia rutilansas in 1873, a name which has now been largely forgotten. The herb is native to Central America where it grows […]
Thankuni: The Longevity Herb
Thankuni is a creeping perennial that belongs to the Apiaceae family, and that goes by several other names. It is a relative of various other better-known herbs such as parsley and cilantro. Its aliases include its botanical name, Centella asiatica as well as pennywort. While it has been naturalized to other parts of the world, […]
Milk Thistle: A Liver-Friendly Herb
Milk thistle is a member of the Asteraceae family and comes from the Mediterranean region; you can also find it growing in parts of Russia, North Africa and in Asia Minor. Other parts of the world to which it has been exported include the New World and Australia. Greek physician and philosopher Galen praised milk […]
Garlic Chives: The Herb For A Milder Garlic Flavor
Garlic chives are native to East Asia. This herb can be found all over the continent from Mongolia to the Philippines. Garlic chives have been cultivated in China for more than 3,000 years. This herb was also documented as having health benefits in ancient Chinese medical texts written during the Ming Dynasty. Garlic chives were […]
Arugula: Italy’s Favorite Salad Green
In Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome, arugula was well known and cultivated for its leaves and seeds. Virgil considered it to be an aphrodisiac for drowsy people. The leaves formed a part of a first-century Roman salad that featured other vegetables and herbs still in use today, including romaine and lavender. At the time, arugula […]
Bergamot: A Native American Herb
The term bergamot typically refers to either an extract from a citrus fruit (Citrus bergamia) and the fruit itself, or to a North American herb (Monarda didyma). The herb is a member of the mint family with leaves that look similar to those of spearmint, while the fruit has the appearance of a lime. The […]
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