Rosemary: The Seasoning of Legends

When I think of the herb, rosemary, I think of the roasted lamb our landlady made for Easter when my husband and I were living on the Greek island of Crete. Absolutely delicious!

The legends about this piney tasting herb go back as far as Ancient Greece. Students of that time wore rings of rosemary garland on their heads because they believed that the herb would improve their memory. At the very beginning of A.D., it is said that the flowers of the rosemary bush were white until Mary hung her blue cloak on one while running from Herod's soldiers with baby Jesus in her arms. It was then that the flowers of the rosemary bush became blue. Another legend of that time says that the bush wouldn't grow any higher than six feet in thirty three years so that it won't be taller than Christ. During the Middle Ages, people placed trigs of rosemary under their pillow thinking it would keep demons and bad dreams away. Superstitions that have lasted through the centuries still make this seasoning a symbol of friendship, love, and remembrance. There are people who still use rosemary as this symbol at weddings and funerals.

The piece of folklore I like the best about this herb goes like this: If a family has a rosemary bush in their garden that it healthy and hearty, it means that the woman of that house has the last say in that home. I wonder how many husbands are going to like this one.

In today's world, rosemary is still an herb that I am in awe of. Resent studies have been done that conclude that rosemary slows the growth of bacteria that is found in spoiled food. According to these same studies, this herb may be better than some of the commercial preservatives that are used for food. With the recent talk of commercial preservatives being related to obesity that is plaguing our society, this was of particular interest to me.

Preliminary studies using rosemary have been done with animals in the fight against cancer showing positive results. The cancers that have been tested this far are colon, breast, stomach, lung, and skin cancer. More studies need to be done as well as trials with human subject though. Wouldn't it be wonderful if just adding rosemary to your diet would help you fight cancer?

Rosemary can be used with almost anything that you are cooking. It blends well with garlic so it can be used in all meat, poultry, fish dishes. It can also be used to flavor tomato sauces and, when used with melted butter, it can liven up your vegetables. It's a worthwhile herb to have in your kitchen cupboard.