Herb guide
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I like the fragrance and aroma of herbs, so here goes.
Herb guide - Page 1
Basil
Chamomile
Oregano
Mint
Parsley
Sage
Rosemary
Thyme
Use of herbs: fresh or dried
Star anise (spice)
Ginger
Coriander
Mustard (spice & vegetables)
Lavender
Page 2
Bergamot
Garlic
Wasabi (spice)
Horseradish (spice)
Sambal blacan (neither herb nor spice, but yummy
)
Rocket
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Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Sweet basil, with it's wonderful aroma and flavor, is one of the most popular and widely grown herbs in the world. We associate basil with Italian cooking, so you may be surprised to find that basil originated in the far eastern countries of India, Pakistan and Thailand.
Culinary Use
Basil has a warm, resinous, clove-like flavor and fragrance. The flowers and leaves are best used fresh and added only during the last few minutes of cooking. Basil works well in combination with tomatoes. Finely chopped basil stirred into mayonnaise makes a good sauce for fish. Use as a garnish for vegetables, chicken and egg dishes. Large lettuce-leaf basil can be stuffed as you would a grape leaf.
Basil doesn't keep well in the refrigerator. Instead, place the cut stems in water and keep them on the windowsill. Sprigs stored this way will remain fresh a week or more.
Basil doesn't retain its flavor well when dried. Instead, layer basil between sheets of waxed paper and freeze. The leaves will darken when frozen this way, but you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well it will retain aroma and flavor. You can also fill ice cube trays with chopped basil, and then cover with water and freeze. Basil ice cubes are great for soups and stews.
Medicinal Use
To relieve sore gums, swish out the mouth often with a tea made from eight basil leaves in a cup of boiling water. A basil leaf tucked into the mouth over an ulcer and kept there for as long as possible will ease the pain.
Other Uses
Basil in the bath is refreshing.
Leaves and flowers can be dried for potpourri.
Burn sprigs of basil on the barbecue to deter mosquitoes.
A bunch of basil hung over the kitchen window or a pot of basil in the windowsill will deter flies. -
Chamomile
(Chamaemilum nobile)
(Matricaria recutita)
C. nobile
This perennial is also known as Roman chamomile. It can be used as a groundcover since it grows only 4 to 12 inches in height. The foliage is feathery with an apple scent, and it is accented by white, daisy-like flowers with down-turned petals.
M. recutita
The annual form of chamomile is also called German chamomile. It grows to 20 inches and has feathery foliage with daisy-like flowers like it's cousin. The flowers are scented, but the foliage is not.
Culinary Uses
Roman chamomile foliage can be chopped and stirred into butter or sour cream that is used to top baked potatoes.
Medicinal Uses
German Chamomile is most often used for medicinal purposes, and is usually administered as a tea. It can also be administered as a compress for external healing and as a bath for babies. Here are a few uses:
* Soothes and relaxes at bedtime.
* Relieves restlessness, teething problems, and colic in children.
* Relieves allergies, much as an antihistamine would.
* Aids digestion when taken as a tea after meals.
* Relieves morning sickness during pregnancy.
* Speeds healing of skin ulcers, wounds, or burns.
* Treats gastritis and ulcerative colitis.
* Other Uses
* Makes a relaxing bath or footbath.
* Lightens fair hair and conditions complexion. Make a rinse by simmering 2 teaspoons dried flowers in 8 ounces of water for 15 minutes.
* Potpourri (dry flowers face down.) -
Oregano
Origanum vulgare
Oregano originates from the Mediterranean and is closely related to marjoram. Its pungency is in direct proportion to the amount of sun it receives. It grows to a height of about 8 inches with woody stems and dark green leaves around 3/4 inch long. Small, white flowers are borne on long spikes.
Uses
For the best flavor, add oregano in the last few minutes of cooking. The flavor can become bitter if cooked more than 30 minutes. Add it to salads, casseroles, soups, sauces, pates and poultry dishes. Dried oregano is especially good with tomatoes, beans, eggplant, zucchini and rice dishes such as pilaf and risotto. -
Mint
Mentha
The common types of mint are peppermint, pennyroyal, crinkle-leafed spearmint, spearmint, and applemint.
Never eat pennyroyal, as it is toxic.
Peppermint
Culinary Uses
Spearmint and crinkle-leafed spearmint are best for sauces. You can cook a few sprigs with peas and new potatoes to enhance the flavor.
Spearmint, peppermint and applemint sprigs can be added to drinks and fruit dishes as a garnish. It also makes a refreshing tea.
Peppermint makes an excellent flavoring for ice cream, chocolates, and other deserts.
Ginger-Scented Tomato and Cabbage Soup with Fresh Mint
Spearmint in flower
Medicinal Uses
Peppermint is the mint of choice for medicinal purposes. It's many uses include the following:
The menthol in peppermint soothes the lining of the digestive tract an stimulates the production of bile, which is an essential digestive fluid. A hot cup of herbal tea is an excellent way to settle your stomach after a big meal.
There is a very good reason that peppermint is the flavoring of choice for toothpaste. Peppermint is an excellent breath freshener. When using peppermint tea as a breath freshener, increase the effectiveness by adding a pinch of anise, caraway or cinnamon.
Peppermint is reputed to have the calming, sedative effect.
Menthol vapors are famous for relieving nasal, sinus and chest congestion. Remember those minty-smelling ointments your mother rubbed on your chest when you were a child with a cold? You can also get relief with a steaming cup of peppermint tea. For a more effective cold remedy, combine peppermint with elder flower and yarrow. For a hacking cough, drink 3 to four cups of cool peppermint tea throughout the day, taking a sip every 15 to 30 minutes.
To make peppermint tea, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes.
Pennyroyal
Other uses
Pennyroyal, which is toxic when taken internally, has many other uses around the house.
Rub pennyroyal on the skin as an insect repellent. Since it has been known to irritate sensitive skin, test on a small patch of skin first.
Rub pennyroyal on your dog's coat to deter fleas. Try placing a few leaves in your pet's bed, too.
Plant under roses to retain moisture and improve the overall health of rose bushes.
Add to flowerboxes and hanging baskets for fragrance and beauty. All mints are good as cut flowers and foliage for indoor arrangements.
Use in potpourri. -
Parsley
Species: P. crispum, P. neapolitanum
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a bright green, biennial herb that is very common in Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking. It is used for its leaf in much the same way as coriander (which is also known as Chinese parsley or cilantro), although it has a milder flavor.
Bigger image
Two forms of parsley are used as herbs: curly leaf and Italian or flat leaf. Curly leaf parsley is often used as a garnish. Many people think flat leaf parsley has a stronger flavor, and this opinion is backed by chemical analysis which finds much higher levels of essential oil in the flat-leaved cultivars. One of the compounds of the essential oil is apiol. Another type of parsley is grown as a root vegetable.
Curled Parsley
Parsley is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Mouse Moth and The Nutmeg.
In parts of Europe, and particularly in West Asia, many foods are served with chopped parsley sprinkled on top. The fresh flavor of parsley goes extremely well with fish. Parsley is essential to several West Asian salads, e.g., tabbouleh which is the national dish of Lebanon. In Southern and Central Europe, parsley is part of bouquet garni, a bundle of fresh herbs used to flavor stocks, soups and sauces. Additionally, parsley is often used as a garnish.
Flat parsley
Parsley is valued as a breath-freshener, due to its high concentration of chlorophyll. Adam Blackman, a nutritionist, claims parsley enhances mental alertness, and affects the immune system.
Parsley has been proven to be the best counter for bad garlic breath. -
Sage
Salvia officinalis
The ancient Romans used to ask, "How can a man die if he has sage growing in his garden?" It was a highly valued herb in those times and is well supported for its medicinal values today as well. It is an attractive, shrubby plant that develops upright flowering spikes with tiered clusters of inch-long violet-tinted blue blossoms. The taste of sage is a welcome addition to many different types of cooking.
Standard Uses
Sage makes an attractive ornamental plant for most any garden. The most common use today is as flavoring for meat and poultry stuffings. It also makes an appearance in many of the culinary dishes of the Mediterranean and Near Eastern region. Leaves retain the most flavor when slowly dried.
Medicinal Uses
Sage leaves can provide relief of the itching and swelling resulting from insect bites by chewing some to mix with saliva, thus making a crude poultice to apply to the bite. A tea made from the leaves provides soothing, healing relief for sore throat, loss of voice and tonsillitis, as well as helping to remove mucus from congested lungs. -
Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis
"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance."
-- Shakespeare's Hamlet to Ophelia
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which also includes many other herbs. The flowers are variable in colour, being white, pink, purple, or blue.
Rosemary sprig
History and Tradition
The botanical name Rosmarinus is derived form the old Latin for 'dew of the sea', a reference to its pale blue dew-like flowers and the fact that it is often grown near the sea. It is a symbol of remembrance and friendship, and is often carried by wedding couples as a sign of love and fidelity.
Rosemary flower
Rosemary is also the name of an artist who began writing and touring in the 90's. She had some success with her single entitled "the Floater," which was released on the album "the Fabulous Life of..."
Rosemary is often commonly associated with memory and/or remembrance of the past.
Rosemary Remembrance Wreaths -
Thyme
Thyme is an invaluable element in the kitchen: it blends with and enhances many other herbs without overpowering them. Thyme is best known as one of the primary components in a classic bouquet garni. When combined with fresh sprigs of parsley and leaves of bay, it will enliven and give depth to the flavor of soups, stews and sauces. A native of the sunny Mediterranean hillsides, thyme is also a key element in the traditional, dried, aromatic blend Herbes de Provence.
Common types of thyme
While there are over 100 varieties of thyme, all of which are fragrant to some extent, there are three that have a special place in the kitchen: lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus), caraway thyme (Thymus herba-barona), and common thyme (Thymus vulgaris).
Lemon thyme is a compact, upright shrub that grows to a height of 12 inches. The leaves are tiny and heart shaped, ringed with a splash of yellow. As the name implies, lemon thyme has a bit of a citrus tang, but is milder than most other thyme. This makes it a natural choice for seasoning seafood dishes and even sweets. The citrus flavor also helps to lighten fatty dishes. The natural, volatile oils also work as a digestive aid. These same pungent oils make lemon thyme a favorite in aroma therapy for the treatment of asthma.
Caraway thyme, although difficult to find, makes an intriguing addition to meat dishes and is especially tasty in combination with garlic and wine. It is a low-growing variety that forms a dense, dark green mat. It spreads quickly, making it a good ground cover, especially with its soft, pink blossoms. Creeping thyme (Thymus drucei) also called "mother of thyme" or "wild thyme," is another low-growing variety, more often used for gardening than for cooking. It is ideal for filling in garden pathways and between stepping stones in areas of light foot traffic, producing a soft, fragrant carpet under foot.
Common or garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the variety with which people are most familiar. A shrubby perennial that grows six to twelve inches, its narrow, pale grey, green leaves have a pungent, woody aroma. A native of the Mediterranean, it grows in areas where there is plenty of sun and good drainage. Drought conditions tends to concentrate the oils, producing a more potent herb. When cooking with thyme be sure to add it early in the process so the oils, and thus the flavor, has time to be released.
Flowering garden thyme
History & Uses
The use of thyme has been recorded as far back as 3000 BC when it was used as an antiseptic by the Sumerians. The early Egyptians also used thyme as one of the ingredients in their mummification process.
The hills of Greece are covered with wild thyme, and thyme honey from the tiny pink and lavender blossoms is plentiful. To the ancient Greeks, thyme came to denote elegance, and the phrase "to smell of thyme" became an expression of stylish praise. Thyme was widely used: medically, in massage and bath oils, as incense in the temples and as an aphrodisiac. Even the origins of the word thyme are Greek: from the word thymon meaning "courage."
The Romans also associated thyme with courage and vigor, bathing in waters scented with thyme to prepare themselves for battle. The Scottish highlanders of old would prepare a tea of wild thyme for the same purpose, as well as for warding off nightmares. During the Middle Ages, European ladies embroidered a sprig of thyme on tunics for their knights, again as a token of courage.
More recently, noted herbalist Culpeper recommended an infusion of thyme to relieve "the headaches occasioned by inebriation."
In literature, thyme is often associated with the activities of fairies. Shakespeare's Oberon, king of the fairies, speaks of knowing "...where the wild thyme grows." The English variety of wild thyme referred to has the highest concentration of volatile oils. Perhaps this accounts for its use as one of the main ingredients in a 17th century recipe which "enables one to see the Faeries."
With its elfin leaves, delicate blossoms and subtle, woodsy flavor, it is easy to see why thyme might be associated with things elusive and magical, even in the kitchen. -
Use of herbs: fresh or dried better?
There are various opinions concerning the question whether herbs should be better used fresh or dried. Several herbs lose their flavour partially or in full when dried: Examples include coriander, parsley, tarragon, bear's garlic and dill, but also curry leaves and lemon grass.
Advanced drying technology may in some cases preserve the original flavour, at least in part; but these herbs are, even with best dehydration equipment, always better used fresh than dried. Better preservation may be achieved with special preparations, (e.g., pesto made from basil). The loss of fragrance is mainly due to two causes: Aroma components escape to the air (evaporation) or may be chemically destroyed, mainly by oxidation.
Some herbs, however, show a different, even paradoxical, behaviour: Their spiciness actually increases when dried. Sometimes, one reads an explanation of that effect stating that on drying, structures in the plant tissue collapse which results in increased mobility and availability of the essential oil which can now easier diffuse into the foods. Besides thyme, that phenomenon can be observed in oregano and rosemary: For all three herbs, the (skilfully) dried herb surpasses the fresh one in intensity by a factor of two or three. -
Star Anise
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Star anise, or Chinese star anise, (Chinese: pinyin: ba jiao, lit. "eight-horn" ) is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of southwest China. The star shaped fruits are harvested just before ripening. It is widely used in Chinese cuisine, and to a lesser degree in South Asia and Indonesia. Star anise is an ingredient of the traditional five-spice powder of Chinese cooking. It is also one of the ingredients used to make the broth for the Vietnamese noodle soup called pho.
Star anise contains anethole, the same ingredient which gives the unrelated anise its flavor. Recently, star anise has come into use in the West as a less expensive substitute for anise in baking as well as in liquor production, most distinctively in the production of the liquor Galliano.
Star anise has been used in a tea as a remedy for colic and rheumatism, and the seeds are sometimes chewed after meals to aid digestion.
Although it is produced in most autotrophic organisms, star anise is the industrial source of shikimic acid, a primary ingredient used to create the anti-flu drug Tamiflu. Tamiflu is regarded as the most promising drug to mitigate the severity of bird flu (H5N1); however, reports indicate that some forms of the virus have already adapted to Tamiflu. A shortage of star anise is one of the key reasons why there is a worldwide shortage of Tamiflu (as of 2005).
Star Anise
Anise
Star anise is grown in four provinces in China and harvested between March and May. The shikimic acid is extracted from the seeds in a ten-stage manufacturing process which takes a year. Reports say 90% of the harvest is already used by the Swiss pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche in making Tamiflu, but other reports say there is an abundance of the spice in the main regions - Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan.
Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), a similar tree, is not edible because it is highly toxic; instead, it has been burned as incense in Japan. Cases of illness, including "serious neurological effects, such as seizures", reported after using star anise tea may be a result of using this species. Japanese star anise contains anisatin, which causes severe inflammation of the kidneys, urinary tract and digestive organs. -
Ginger
Source: Wikipedia
Ginger root is used extensively as a spice in many if not all cuisines of the world. Though called a root, it is actually the rhizome of the monocotyledonous perennial plant Zingiber officinale.
Originating in southern China, cultivation of ginger spread to India, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and the Caribbean.
Ginger contains up to 3% of an essential oil that causes the fragrance of the spice.
Culinary uses
Young ginger roots are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can also be stewed in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added as a sweetener.
Mature ginger roots are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from old ginger roots is extremely potent and is often used as a spice in Chinese cuisine to cover up other strong odors and flavors such as in seafood and mutton.
Ginger is also candied, is used as a flavoring for candy, cookies, crackers and cake, and is the main flavor in ginger ale, a sweet, carbonated, non-alcoholic beverage, as well as the similar, but somewhat spicier beverage ginger beer.
A ginger-flavored liqueur called Canton is produced in the Guangdong province of China; it is advertised to be based on a recipe created for the rulers of the Qing Dynasty and made from six different varieties of ginger.
Green ginger wine is produced in the United Kingdom traditionally Crabbie's and Stone's, in a green glass bottle. Ginger is also used as a spice added to hot coffee and tea.
In Japan, ginger is pickled to make beni shoga and gari or grated and used raw on tofu or noodles.
In Western cuisine, ginger is traditionally restricted to sweet foods, such as ginger ale, gingerbread, ginger snaps (a type of cookie), ginger cake and ginger biscuits.
Powdered dry ginger (ground ginger) is typically used to add spiciness to gingerbread and other recipes. Ground and fresh ginger taste quite different and ground ginger is a particularly poor substitute for fresh ginger. Fresh ginger can be successfully substituted for ground ginger and should be done at a ratio of 6 parts fresh for 1 part ground. You generally achieve better results by substituting only half the ground ginger for fresh ginger.
In Myanmar, ginger is used in a salad dish called gyin-tho, which consists of shredded ginger preserved in oil, and a variety of nuts and seeds.
In traditional Korean Kimchi, ginger is minced finely and added into the ingredients of the spicy paste just before the fermenting process.
In India, ginger is used in all sub-varieties of the indian cuisines. In south India, ginger is used in the production of a candy called Inji-murappa ("ginger candy" from Tamil). This candy is mostly sold by vendors to bus passengers in bus stops and in small tea shops as a locally produced item. Candied ginger is also very famous around these parts. Additionally, in Tamil Nadu, especially in the Tanjore belt, a variety of ginger which is less spicy is used when tender to make fresh pickle with the combination of lemon juice, salt and tender green chillies. This kind of pickle was generally made before the invention of refrigeration and stored for a maximum of 4-5 days. The pickle gains a mature flavor when the juices cook the ginger over the first 24 hours.
Ginger has a sialagogue action, stimulating the production of saliva.
25.4-pound ginger root
Medicinal uses
Medical research has shown that ginger root is an effective treatment for nausea caused by motion sickness or other illness, and also contains many antioxidants.
Ginger ale and ginger beer have been recommended as "stomach settlers" for generations in countries where the beverages are made. Ginger water was commonly used to avoid heat cramps in the United States in the past.
Research has also found ginger to be a powerful antioxidant. Ginger has also been shown in research to have a regulatory role in the natural inflammatory response of the body. In India ginger is applied as a paste to the temples to relieve headache.
However, like other herbs, ginger may be harmful because it may interact with other medications, such as warfarin; hence, a physician or pharmacist should be consulted before taking the herb as a medicinal agent or on a long-term basis. Ginger is also contraindicated in people suffering from gallstones, because the herb promotes the release of bile from the gallbladder -
this.. boil whole in water until 1 small bowl - essense of ginger.
drink le will die anot? -
Coriander
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), also commonly called cilantro in North America, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae.
Coriander is native to southwestern Asia west to north Africa. The name coriander derives from Latin coriandrum, which was first noted by Pliny (the Elder). The Latin word derives in turn from Greek corys, a bedbug, plus -ander, "resembling", and refers to the supposed similarity of the scent of the crushed leaves to the distinctive odour of bedbugs (largely forgotten in this age of insecticides).
Uses
All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. Coriander is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, South Asian, Latin American, Chinese, African and Southeast Asian cuisine.
Leaves
The leaves are variously referred to as coriander leaves, cilantro (in the United States, from the Spanish name for the plant), dhania (in the Indian subcontinent, and increasingly, in Britain), Chinese parsley or Mexican parsley. The leaves have a very different taste from the seeds, similar to parsley but "juicier" and with citrus-like overtones. Some people instead perceive an unpleasant "soapy" taste and/or a rank smell. This taste is believed to be a genetic trait, but has yet to be fully researched.
Fruit
The dry fruits are known as coriander seeds. In some regions, the use of the word coriander in food preparation always refers to these seeds (as a spice), rather than to the plant itself. The seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed, due to the presence of the terpenes linalool and pinene. It is also described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured. They are usually dried but can be eaten green.
Roots
Coriander roots are used in a variety of oriental cuisine. They are commonly used in Thai dishes.
Medicinal Uses
Researchers have found that coriander can assist with clearing the body of lead, aluminium and mercury.
Coriander has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iranian folk medicine. Experiments in mice support its use as an anxiolytic.
Coriander essential oil has been demonstrated to exhibit antibacterial action against E. Coli.
Extracted from Wikipedia -
basil n rosemarry ..mint leaf..
good good.. -
May bleed from your 7 lobangs (in Chinese, the "qi1 kong3" ).Originally posted by Ito_^:
this.. boil whole in water until 1 small bowl - essense of ginger.
drink le will die anot?
And fart a lot too?
-
nice guide
-
somehow the pic above looks gross..
ewww -
Mustard
(A spice & also refers to vegetables)
Mustard seeds
Mustard seeds are small, about 1 mm in diameter. They may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are important spices in many regional cuisines.
In the Indian subcontinent they are often used whole, and are quickly fried in oil until they pop to impart a flavor to the oil.
Black mustard seeds
Mustard oil can be extracted from the seeds. The seeds, particularly the white ones, can also be ground into a flour, and mixed to a thick paste with a little water to make the condiment mustard. The ground mustard powder is usually mixed with ordinary flour to reduce the strength of the resulting condiment.
Other ingredients can be used to mix mustard, for example, sugar, honey, vinegar, wine, or milk.
When initially mixed the sauce is mild in flavor, but it develops in time. Strong mustard has a very powerful (and painful) effect on the nasal membranes if eaten carelessly.
The whole seeds can be soaked in liquid before grinding to create whole grain mustard.
It is possible to buy ready prepared mustard in many places, but the freshly prepared product is usually far superior.
Prepared Mustard
Prepared mustard is a thick condiment, a yellow or yellow-brown paste with a sharp taste that is prepared from the ground mustard seeds, by mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, and adding ingredients such as flour. A strong mustard can cause the eyes to water, burn the palate and inflame the nasal passages. For this reason, mustard is an acquired taste.
The Romans most likely developed the prepared mustards we know today. They mixed unfermented grape juice, known as "must", with ground seeds (called sinapis) to form mustum ardens, or "burning must".
Coleman's English mustard (hot!)
Culinary Uses
Powdered mustard seed should be mixed with cold water. Hot water will kill the enzymes and produce a bitter flavor. Dry mustard powder is added to salad dressings to give them pungency, and also added to egg and cheese dishes and rubbed over meat before roasting. White mustard seed is a preservative used in pickling, either alone or as an ingredient in mixed pickling spice.
Other Uses
A mustard bath, where the powder is mixed with hot water, is comforting for sore and aching feet and relaxes and revives the entire body.
Mustard greens
Mustard greens (also known as green mustard cabbage), the leaves of the Indian mustard plant (Brassica juncea), are one of the greens considered to be an essential element in soul food. They are more pungent than the closely-related Brassica oleracea greens (kale, cabbage, collard greens, etc.). Mustard greens are also extremely high in Vitamin A and Vitamin K.
Chinese and Japanese cuisines make much more use of mustard greens. A large variety of B. juncea cultivars are grown and enjoyed, such as zha cai (tatsoi), mizuna, juk gai choy (see below), and hseuh li hung (Ñ©Àïºì xue2 li3 hong2). Asian mustard greens are generally stir-fried or pickled. A South-East Asian dish called asam gai choy or kiam chai boey (see below) is often made with leftovers from a large meal. It involves stewing mustard greens with tamarind, dried chillies and leftover meat on the bone.
Oriental Mustard (Chinese mustard, Gai Choy)
Oriental mustard greens are very popular in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking and pickling.
Mustard, pickled (xiancai)
Made with salt through lactic fermentation, pickled mustard is sour and often rather salty and need to be soaked to remove excess salt. It may come loose in a big urn but usually submerged in brine. Avoid those with leaves as the stems are the delicious parts which should be somewhat crunchy. Known as Xiancai, Suancai, or Xian-suancai in Mandarin.
Mustard, meicai (xiancai)
Meicai is a tasty preserved leafy mustard that is used to flavour stews and other dishes. It comes in two varieties, a salty type and another salty -sweet (see photo). Taste and soak accordingly before use. -
Lavender
The lavenders Lavandula are a genus of about 25-30 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region south to tropical Africa and east to India.
Lavender flower
Cultivation and uses
The most common species in cultivation is the Common Lavender Lavandula angustifolia (formerly L. officinalis). A wide range of cultivars can be found. Other commonly grown ornamental species are L. stoechas, L. dentata, and L. multifida.
Lavenders are widely grown in gardens. Flower spikes are used for dried flower arrangements. The fragrant, pale purple flowers and flower buds are used in potpourris. Dried and sealed in pouches, they are placed among stored items of clothing to give a fresh fragrance and as a deterrent to moths. The plant is also grown commercially for extraction of lavender oil from the flowers. This oil is used as an antiseptic and for aromatherapy.
Lavandula stoechas
Lavender flowers yield abundant nectar which yields a high quality honey for beekeepers. Lavender monofloral honey is produced primarily in the nations around the Mediterranean, and marketed worldwide as a premium product. Lavender flowers can be candied and are used as cake decoration. Lavender is also used as a herb, either alone or as an ingredient of herbes de Provence. Lavender is also used to flavour sugar, the product being called "lavender sugar".
Medicinal use
Lavender has been extensively used in herbalism. An infusion of lavender is claimed to soothe and heal insect bites. Bunches of lavender are also said to ward off insects. If applied to the temples, lavender oil is said to soothe headaches. Lavender is frequently used as an aid to sleep: Seeds and flowers of the plant are added to pillows, and an infusion of three flowerheads added to a cup of boiling water are recommended as a soothing and relaxing bedtime drink.
Lavender farm in Hokkaido
Other Uses
Bunches of lavender are said to ward off insects. Fresh or dried flowers are used in rinsing water for clothes and hair. Dried flowers and seeds are often used in potpourri and sachets. The stems are used to weave decorative baskets.
To dry the flowers, cut them as soon as they begin to open and hang upside down in bunches in a well-ventilated area. -
lavender si herb meh???
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Si sinor.Originally posted by TehJarVu:lavender si herb meh??? -
i love herbs leh... esp. basil
i used basil to cook my fish b4, very yummy...
my baked fish
(memories memories!)
*ooops hijacked thread* -
and i used corriander seeds to cook my famous lamb chops
that time cannot post pics so i didn't take any shot of my famous lamb chops -
Simi heer is this?Originally posted by TehJarVu:i love herbs leh... esp. basil
i used basil to cook my fish b4, very yummy...
my baked fish
(memories memories!)
*ooops hijacked thread*
So blue the fish....like not chet cooked....or baked under ultra violet light. -
Ginger as stomach settlers?
So if I have a weak stomach, drinking ginger tea frequently would be good?
