Content
- Rosemary - origin of the Mediterranean macchia
- Mediterranean rosemary
- Rosemary already known in ancient times
- Tips & Tricks
Rosemary - origin of the Mediterranean macchia
Rosemary is a very popular spice that not only gives an aromatic note to Mediterranean dishes. On the contrary, rosemary is very versatile and spicy 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" due to its intense aroma in the German vernacular, originally comes from the dry macchia of southern Europe. The up to two-meter-high shrub grows mainly on the Iberian Peninsula, but is also wild in Greece, Italy and Croatia. In Germany, the plant usually grows not as abundant as in their countries of origin - where it is quite well used for planting hedges - but is only between 80 to 100 inches high. As in its Mediterranean countries of origin, the rosemary needs a sunny and warm location here too, although it is only very hardy for winter. Therefore, especially in the cooler regions of Germany a cultivation in the pot is recommended.
Rosemary already known in ancient times
Where the name "rosemary" comes from is not clear. Some experts assume that the name derives from the Latin words "ros" for "tau" and "marinus" (meaning "belonging to the sea"); Rosemary ergo in German means as much as "dew of the sea". Other linguists in turn attribute the name of the plant to the Greek "rhops myrinos", which in turn means "fragrant shrub". However, it is certain that the herb has been used for centuries in the kitchen as well as a medicinal herb. The German name "bridal herb" is a remnant of Greek antiquity, as the rosemary was still dedicated to the goddess of love Aphrodite. In Germany, the plant finally found its way into the monastery gardens in the late Middle Ages, after being brought over the Alps by migratory Benedictine monks from Italy. Already Paracelsus, a well-known doctor of the early modern times, recommended a healing use of the rosemary especially with gout and rheumatism.
Tips & Tricks
A recipe for a particularly delicious spread: marmalade from plums, mirabelles or white grapes tastes, flavored with a little (!) Ground rosemary, very intense. This mixture tastes not only on bread, but also to game meat.
IJA