The Many Talents of Rosemary | Memory Boost, Healing Tea & Culinary Herb
Rosemary, Oh Rosemary,
You are an herb with many talents
Rosemary’s Latin name Rosemarinus officinalis, means dew of the sea. Rosemary has a great love for sunshine and moist salty air. I often see her growing along California beaches. She is a flexible plant and can prosper in many environments but when temperatures dip below freezing, it is best to bring her indoors.
Her sweet-smelling, pungent needle leaves have an aroma that reminds me of pine needles. The slightly woody fragrance includes a trace of freshly cut cedarwood and camphor. There are many types of rosemary. Some of them have blue flowers while others have pink, violet, or white petals.
They like to be planted in soil that drains easily. Certain varieties are low growing and stand no taller than 20 inches while others are upright and generally reach a height of three to six feet.
Ancient Brainpower
Ancient Greek and Roman students placed stems of rosemary behind their ears to improve their memory. During a difficult test, they wore a rosemary wreath on their heads. Today rosemary continues to be used by students who want to do well on assignments and tests. Years ago, while still a classroom teacher, students in my 4th grade class sometimes took sprigs of rosemary from the school’s herb garden to finger and smell when completing a test or doing homework. They claimed the strong pine scent helped them concentrate, especially when tackling a hard question and I have no doubt that it did. On one occasion, the following poem was written by a group of these students to honor rosemary.
An Ode to Rosemary
Rosemary, oh rosemary
How lively I feel,
When smelling your leaves,
You give me a thrill
I regularly visited the herb garden with my classes, picking a leaf to smell or noticing a new blossom. Students loved this garden and often amazed me with their intuitive understanding of ways to use these herbs in their day-totoday lives. Rosemary was definitely a favorite.
Spice up Your Food
Be sure to bring rosemary into the kitchen. It has a pungent, peppery flavor that can spice up plain food without much effort. When enjoying a backyard barbeque, rosemary is right at home. The robust aroma is a perfect way to boost the hearty flavor of red meat. Sprinkle it on chicken, add it to marinades, or throw the sprigs on hot coals to infuse steaks and chops. Other possibilities?
Season lamb, soups, and potatoes with a few dried needles
Bake bread, gingerbread, and cookies using ground rosemary
Flavor salads, rice, or cooked vegetables
My number one favorite way to use rosemary is adding a few of the dried needles to split pea soup for a tasty winter treat.
Good Medicine
Rosemary has also been used as a healing herb for hundreds of years. Throughout Europe it was used to soothe wounds and mouth sores. It was also made into a poultice for bee strings, bites, and aching muscles. Today people drink rosemary tea to treat colds, flu, sore throats, and headaches. The tea has a strong, somewhat bitter taste, so you may wish to add a teaspoon of honey. On occasion I combine the healing powers of rosemary and green tea for a nice variation.
Note: There are so many ways to use this herb. In future articles I will share recipes for gingerbread cookies, rosemary salt, and the joys of preparing a rosemary bath to restore mind and body.
