Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)

Rosemary is a popular spice in many Western countries, but its usage is most popular in the Mediterranean countries, especially Italy and France, less so Greece. Rosemary may be used to flavour vinegar.

Rosemary does not lose its flavour by long cooking, as many other leaves unfortunately do. The fresh leaves have a more pure fragrance and are therefore preferred whenever available.

Use rosemary for fish, meat (especially poultry), but also for vegetables. It is frequently recommended for potatoes and suitable for vegetables fried in olive oil (aubergines, zucchini, tomatoes), as commonly prepared in Mediterranean countries. In Italian cuisine, mutton is hardly ever cooked without rosemary, and broiled poultry wrapped in rosemary twigs is also very popular. A similar effect can be achieved by sprinkling rosemary leaves on the glowing charcoal during grilling.

Used plant part
The small needle-like leaves.

Plant family
Lamiaceae (mint family).

Sensoric quality
Strongly aromatic (reminiscent to camphor or eucalyptus), resinous and slightly bitter.

Main constituents
The leaves contain about 1 to 2.5% essential oil. Therein, 1,8-cineol (30%), camphor (15 to 25%), borneol (16 to 20%), bornyl acetate (max. 7%), a-pinene (max. 25%) and others contribute to the complex taste. On the tannin content see hyssop and on bitterness in general see zedoary.

Origin
Mediterranean. Rosemary was one of the plants that, according to the Capitulare de villis, was grown in medieval monasteries (see lovage). However, its poor resistance to freezes limited its popularity, especially in regions North of the Alpes. Freeze-tolerant rosemary cultivars (e.g., Arp) are a relatively new invetion. Today, rosemary is cultivated in nearly all countries around the Mediterranean Sea, furthermore in England, the US and México.