Rosemary is a very popular spice that not only gives Mediterranean dishes an aromatic note. On the contrary, rosemary is very versatile and seasons meat, fish and vegetables as well as sweets and desserts - try plum jam with rosemary or rosemary honey, delicious!
Mediterranean rosemary
Rosemary, also known as "incense herb" in German vernacular due to its intense fragrance, originally comes from the dry maquis of southern Europe. The shrub, which can grow up to two meters high, mainly grows on the Iberian peninsula, but also grows wild in Greece, Italy and Croatia. In Germany, the plant usually does not grow as luxuriantly as in its countries of origin - where it is also used for planting hedges - but only grows to a height of between 80 and 100 centimeters. Just like in its Mediterranean countries of origin, rosemary needs a sunny and warm location here, although it is only very partially hardy. Therefore, cultivation in a pot is recommended, especially in the cooler regions of Germany.
Rosemary has been known since ancient times
Where the name "rosemary" comes from is not clear. Some experts assume that the name derives from the Latin words "ros" for "dew" and "marinus" (for "belonging to the sea"); Rosemary ergo means something like “dew of the sea” in German. Other linguists, on the other hand, trace the plant name back to the Greek "rhops myrinos", which in turn means "fragrant shrub". What is certain, however, is that the herb has been used in the kitchen and as a medicinal herb for thousands of years. The German name "Brautkraut" is a holdover from Greek antiquity, when rosemary was still dedicated to the goddess of love, Aphrodite. In Germany, the plant finally found its way into monastery gardens in the late Middle Ages, after it was brought across the Alps from Italy by migrating Benedictine monks. Paracelsus, a well-known doctor of the early modern period, recommended the medicinal use of rosemary, especially for gout and rheumatism.
tips and tricks
A recipe for a particularly delicious spread: jam made from plums, Mirabelle plums or white grapes, seasoned with a little (!) ground rosemary, tastes very intense. This mixture not only tastes good on bread, but also with game meat.
IJA