Herbs

The origins of clary sage lie in the Mediterranean region. The Latin name for clary sage is Salvia sclarea, which comes from the word clarus. Clarus means clear. The name comes from the plant’s effectiveness for removing dust and other foreign particles from the eye. It is used for this purpose because the seeds are mucilaginous, similar to chia and flax seeds. This means that clary seeds create a thick, slimy fluid when you soak them in water. You can use that fluid to wash the eyes. This herb has been used as an eyewash and in cooking since the 4th century BCE. Clary sage was documented by Greek philosopher Theophrastus as well as by 1st century CE Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder.

Clary sage was used for its medicinal properties throughout the Middle Ages in Europe. The 17th-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper suggested dipping clary sage leaves in batter and frying them in butter. According to him, the fried leaves helped with back pain. He also warned about mixing the clary sage leaves with wine as he believed the combination acted as an aphrodisiac.

Read more

Pennyroyal is a mint variety that is native to Europe, parts of Asia as well as to the Middle East. It was introduced to places in Africa along with Australia and New Zealand. Pennyroyal’s use dates back to the Ancient Greeks and the Romans after them. The herb was used for its medicinal value but it was an important culinary herb as well. The Greeks used pennyroyal primarily to flavor wines. Roman gourmet Apicius listed fresh and dried pennyroyal alongside other major culinary herbs such as oregano and lovage. In addition to using it to flavor wines, Apicius also used the herb in sauces including a sauce to be served with game.

Pliny the Elder was another historical figure who documented the herb’s benefits. He listed it as a flea repellant. According to some historians, the herb’s presence around the world can be accounted for by the Roman Empire to a large extent.

It was well known to these early civilizations for its use in improving menstrual flow and for causing abortions. Large doses of pennyroyal are needed to affect a fetus. Those large doses can cause serious kidney or liver damage and death both to the mother and to her unborn child.

Read more

Apple mint’s origin is solidly European, it comes from the southern and western parts of the continent but can be found growing wild in other parts as well. In Ancient Greece, apple mint was used for cleaning tables in banquet halls and as a bath herb. It has historically been used as a strewing herb, which means that it has been strewn in temples and other buildings. The idea is that the herb would release its fragrance when crushed underfoot by the building’s occupants. It served as both an air freshener and a pest repellent.

Apple mint is sometimes spelled applemint. Pineapple mint is a variant of apple mint; you can tell the difference between the two herbs by pineapple mint’s variegated leaves. Other names for apple mint include woolly mint because of the hairs on its leaves and monk’s herb because it was once grown mainly in monastery gardens. The reason stems from the fact that monasteries were also infirmaries. The monks believed that you could use the herb to treat the fatigue that followed epileptic seizures.

People in Spain and Latin America, refer to apple mint as hierbabuena. Note that sometimes other mints are referred to as hierbabuena, which means good herb.

Read more

Peppermint is a hybrid of spearmint and watermint that occurs naturally. You can find it growing wild all over Europe and North America, though historians believe that its origins lie in the Mediterranean region.

Peppermint was used by the Ancient Egyptians and later on by the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Pliny the Elder wrote that both the Greeks and the Romans used peppermint to adorn both themselves and their feast tables. They also used it as a culinary herb, using it to flavor wines and sauces. The Greeks and the Romans valued peppermint for its soothing effects on the stomach.

Both Aristotle and Alexander the Great considered peppermint an aphrodisiac, the latter forbade its use by his soldiers. He felt that consuming the herb would rob them of their will to fight. The Arabs had a similar view of peppermint and served it in beverages meant to enhance the libido.

Icelandic pharmacopeias from the 13th century make mention of the herb.

Read more