When I was younger, rosemary (Thendrolivano - de?t????ßa??) was my favorite herb. Not for the normal reason of me liking the taste, no, it was because it looked like small trees. I don’t know. I was young, maybe I liked feeling like a giant? Who knows.

 

Rosemary is a staple in not only Greek kitchens, but any kitchen really. It’s found in every cuisine in some fashion and is commonly found associated with poultry dishes.

Natively grown in the Mediterranean region, it’s actually related to the mint family. The ancient Greeks referred to it as anthos ( ?????) which meant "flower.”

On average, the rosemary plant grows to be around 5 feet tall and is harvested in spring and summer. 

Today, the name rosemary is actually a biblical reference; “ The Virgin Mary is said to have spread her blue cloak over a white-blossomed rosemary bush when she was resting, and the flowers turned blue. The shrub then became known as the ‘Rose of Mary’.”

In ancient Greek mythology, Aphrodite wore it upon her birth from the sea and the Greeks themselves felt rosemary increased memory retention. The ancient scholars would wear rosemary in their hair to aid in helping them remember their findings.

The previous About writer, Nancy, had this to say in her post on the herb which was all new information for me!

“To Egyptians of antiquity, rosemary for good for both the living and the dead. The herb was buried with the pharaohs. Believed to have magical powers to banish evil spirits, it was burned in sick rooms as a disinfectant, and was used to ward off the plague.

Perhaps the earliest written record of man's use of rosemary dates from the 5th millennium B.C.E., by Sumerians in cuneiform on stone tablets.

As a medicine, various preparations and extracts made from rosemary were used to treat stomach and abdominal pain, to soothe mouth ulcers and sore throats, to lessen the pains of arthritic joints, to promote healing of wounds and of eczema. Rosemary is called "the herb of remembrance." Rosemary tea is said to act as a stimulant for study and concentration.”

While rosemary is one of the most popular herbs in Italian cuisine, the Greeks, like so many others, have a love for it, too.

The herbal aroma is added to many chicken, fish, stews, breads, and soup recipes. Sometimes dried and sometimes fresh, rosemary is a herb that finds its way into many Greek meals.

Me personally, I enjoy rosemary with poultry and breads the best. I nice warm rosemary infused bread is hard to beat. Same goes with having it as a main herb with chicken.

I do think not enough people use this herb, so if you’re one of them - get to using it!

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary

http://www.anzacday.org.au/education/tff/rosemary.html