Lovage

Lovage ( ; Levisticum officinale) is a perennial plant, the sole species in the genus Levisticum in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It is native to Afghanistan and Iran. It has been long cultivated in Europe and the leaves are used as a herb, the roots as a vegetable, and the seeds as a spice, especially in southern European cuisine. Its flavour and smell are reminiscent both of celery and parsley, only more intense and spicier than either. The seeds can be used in the same way as fennel seeds.

Lovage ( ; Levisticum officinale) is a perennial plant, the sole species in the genus Levisticum in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It is native to Afghanistan and Iran. It has been long cultivated in Europe and the leaves are used as a herb, the roots as a vegetable, and the seeds as a spice, especially in southern European cuisine. Its flavour and smell are reminiscent both of celery and parsley, only more intense and spicier than either. The seeds can be used in the same way as fennel seeds.

Description

Lovage is an erect, herbaceous, perennial plant growing to tall, with a basal rosette of leaves and leaved stems. The stems and leaves are shiny glabrous green to yellow-green and smell somewhat similar to celery when crushed. The leaflets have a few large triangular to rhomboidal teeth. The larger basal leaves are up to long and trifoliate, while the stem leaves are smaller and less divided, with few leaflets. Produced in umbels at the top of the stems, the flowers are yellow to greenish-yellow, diameter, produced in globose umbels up to diameter; flowering is in late spring. The fruit is a dry two-parted schizocarp long, maturing in autumn.

Distribution

Levisticum officinale is native to Afghanistan and Iran, but has been introduced to most of Europe, parts of Southeast Asia, and the Americas.

Health concerns

Essential oil distilled from lovage root contains furanocoumarins which can lead to photosensitivity in sensitive individuals if ingested as a medicine, or applied to the skin; or if the plant is harvested and contact with the skin occurs.

Uses

The leaves can be used in salads, or to make soup or season broths, and the roots can be eaten as a vegetable or grated for use in salads. Its flavour and smell are reminiscent both of celery and parsley, only more intense and spicy than either. The seeds can be used as a spice in the same way as fennel seeds. The plant has long been cultivated in Europe, the leaves being used as a herb, the roots as a vegetable, and the seeds as a spice, especially in southern Europe. In the Netherlands, lovage leaves are traditionally cooked with white asparagus and salt and served with boiled eggs. In Ukraine, lovage (in ) is considered an aphrodisiac. Traditionally, an infusion prepared from lovage leaves has been used by women for rinsing their hair, in order to attract men with the pleasant spicy smell of the plant. Nowadays, hair conditioners can be bought which contain lovage extract to strengthen the hair. Lovage leaves and roots are also used in salads and as a spice in Ukraine. In Romania, the leaves are a preferred seasoning for the various local broths and are just as popular, in this respect, as parsley or dill. Furthermore, the dried foliage and seeds are added to pickled cabbage and cucumbers both to aid in their preservation and to add flavour to them. In the United Kingdom, an alcoholic lovage cordial is traditionally added to brandy as a winter drink and is or was popular in Cornwall where it was originally added to slightly spoiled smuggled brandy to hide the taste of salt. The roots, which contain a heavy volatile oil, are used as a mild aquaretic.

In culture

A recommendation to cultivate lovage on the agricultural properties of Charlemagne appears in chapter 70 of , a text written around 800 AD about the maintenance of royal estates.

References

External links

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1365919161 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.