Rosemary

ROSEMARY - Rosmarino - Rosmarinus Officinalis - Mint FamilyCommon names: Compass-weed, polar plant, Mary’s mantle HISTORY OF USERosemary has a long history of use in Mediterranean herbal tradition and also as a favored culinary herb. Its Latin name means “dew of the sea” and has been used for hundreds of years as a beloved herb. Thousands of years before refrigeration, ancient people noticed that wrapping meats in crushed rosemary leaves preserved them. Rosemary’s ability to preserve food also led to the belief that it helped preserve memory. Greek students wore rosemary garlands to assist their powers of recall. Traditional Chinese physicians mixed it with ginger as a treatment for headache, indigestion, insomnia, and malaria. Contemporary American herbalists say that rosemary stimulates the circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems. They recommend it as treatment for headache, indigestion, and depression, and as a gargle for bad breath. They also advocate its external use for muscl