End of the World Cuisine
A cultural and gastronomic journey through the corners of the Earth
The Egyptians used it in embalming ceremonies, as well as placing their branches inside the graves of the pharaohs to help them strengthen their souls before moving on to the next world. For the Romans it symbolized love and death so it was planted on the doorstep. Greek students made a crown and used it to improve their intellectual abilities. The couples also used it as a crown during the wedding, representing the symbol of love and fidelity, while the guests received branches decorated with colored ribbons. It was also used under the pillows to ward off nightmares and bad spirits. In the plague epidemic, rosemary became very popular, as the branches were burned over a fire to purify the air and used it as a sachet attached to the garments and close to the body, so that the aspirated air could be purified. It is also said that the natural color of the rosemary flower was white and that Mary, mother of Jesus, would have covered with a blue cloak a rosemary plant that grew on the stable door, and that from that day on, all the flowers became azuís, and finally but no less interesting the story of the "Water of the Queen of Hungary". The story goes that rosemary alcohol (the first cologne to be made with alcohol) would not only have helped to heal Queen Isabelle, a septagenarian, who suffered from gout and rheumatism living in bed to get rid of the disease but also it would have brought her youth and love in the person of the King of Poland who asked her to marry him. (I confess that I didn’t know, and then we’re going to buy it, maybe we’ll find the fountain of youth?
In the kitchen: It was used in the kitchen more than 500 BC by the Greeks and Romans. It is a sweet and bitter herb with a camphor odor, widely used in Mediterranean cuisine dishes. It can be used in almost anything, it goes well in breads, soups, vegetables, pasta sauces, fish, potatoes, poultry, red meats and why not in creams, ice cream, syrups and jams?
We could stay here for hours talking about each of the herbs and spices and traveling through time to remote times and reveling in all these magical stories of flavors.
Flavor: It has a sweet, spicy and camphor taste.
Medicinal properties: It is widely used in the food, cosmetics and perfumery industries. It acts in the digestive function, mainly in the work of the visicula, has spasmodic properties, stimulating action on the nervous system, besides having bactericidal properties, being a natural anti-inflammatory.
Conservation: if cool, it can stay in a glass of water for about 3 to 4 days. Dry, in closed glasses protected from light, and frozen: removing it from the branches and placing them in ice with water, thus ensuring that they are always fresh and by hand.
Lightning Revenue:
Conta-se também, que a cor natural da flor do Alecrim era branca e que Maria, mãe de Jesus, teria coberto com seu manto azul um pé de alecrim que crescia na porta do estábulo, e que a partir desse dia, todas as flores tornaram-se azuis.
Finalmente, porém não menos interessante, a história da "Água da Rainha da Hungria".
A história conta que o álcool do alecrim (primeira agua de colônia a ser feita com álcool), teria não somente ajudado a curar a rainha Isabelle, septuagenária, a qual sofrendo de gota e reumatismo e vivendo presa à cama, a se livrar da doença como tambémtambém teria lhe trazido a juventude e o amorna pessoa do Rei da Polônia, que a pediu em casamento.
Na cozinha: Foi utilizada na cozinha há mais de 500 A.C. pelos gregos e romanos. É uma erva doce e amarga, de odor canforado bastante utilizada nos pratos da cozinha mediterrânea. Pode-se usar em quase tudo, vai bem nos pães, sopas, legumes, molhos para massas, peixes, batatas, aves, carnes vermelhas e por que não nos cremes, sorvetes, caldas e compotas?
Poderíamos ficar aqui, horas falando sobre cada uma das ervas e especiarias e viajando através do tempo à épocas remotas e nos deleitando com todas essas histórias mágicas dos sabores.
Sabor: possui um gosto adocicado, apimentado e canforado.
Propriedade medicinais: É muito utilizada na indústria alimentícia, cosmética e na perfumaria. Atua na função digestiva, principalmente no trabalho da vesícula, tem propriedades espasmódicas, ação estimulante sobre o sistema nervoso, além de possuir propriedades bactericidas, sendo um anti-inflamatório natural.
Conservação: se fresco, poderá ficar dentro de um copo com água por uns 3 a 4 dias. Seco, em vidros fechados ao abrigo da luz, e congelado, retirando-o dos galhos e colocando-os em formas de gelo com água, garantindo dessa forma tê-los sempre frescos e às mãos.
Receita Relâmpago:
ALECRIM - Rosmarinus officinalis
TOMILHO - Thymus vulgaris
Helena, queen of Sparta, who, having been kidnapped by Paris, had her tears shed with sadness shed on the ground where she passed, the gods transformed her into tufts of thyme, which ended up becoming a symbol of love, loyalty, strength and protection. The herb was part of the funeral ceremonies of the Egyptians, in the embalming of their dead and Greek religious ceremonies, being also used to perfume the baths and as incense. Symbol of strength for the Romans, who before going to war took a bath with the herb to strengthen themselves. The Greeks placed branches under their helms in order to give them courage. In the Middle Ages, wives embroidered thyme flowers on the knights' scarves as a sign of strength and good wishes, the bourgeoisie used the branches attached to their clothes in order to repel odors, germs and other bacteria from the people.
In the kitchen: can be used both fresh and dry. It goes well with omelets, dishes with potatoes, vegetables, cheeses, poultry, fish and also in marinades. Did you know that it can also be used in desserts? Yes, try flavoring jellies, cakes, ice cream and fruit salad.
Flavor: Slightly spicy and bitter. Lemon thyme: slightly citrus flavor.
Medicinal properties: want some good reasons to start using it? It is powerful in the infectious process, stimulates the immune and circulatory system. Abuse thyme tea as it is effective in the treatment of throat, thrush and gingivitis. In infusion it acts in the treatment of the airways, relieving bronchitis, colds and asthma. Are you feeling tired and stressed? Thyme tea: it works wonderfully to combat stress.
Conservation: still fresh place in 1 glass of water or in a plastic bag in the vegetable compartment in the refrigerator, or to have them for longer, place the leaves in ice forms, cover with water, freeze and store the cubes in appropriate bags.
Lightning Revenue:
Good afternoon!!!
As we have been listening for some time to talk about Hibiscus, I decided to go a little deeper and seek more information about this plant and share with you some of the many curiosities, benefits and ways to use it. After reading the article, I believe that they will include it in their daily lives due to the countless benefits it has.
The Hibiscus whose scientific name is Hibiscus Sabdariffa comes from Sudan in Africa, and has several names according to the country where it is consumed, as we will see below. It is a familiar shrub in Egypt, Senegal, Burkina and most countries in the southern Sahara.
Hibiscus - Hibiscus sabdariffa
A little bit of history: An ancestral magical plant in Africa, the karkadé would have the power to awaken sexual desire, love and divination. In this way, the buttons were burned during the rituals of love, braided and used as garlands during the wedding ceremonies. Its name "bissap" comes from the deformation "wolof" (language spoken in Senegal) of the word "bissab" which literally means the act of carnal love. According to Scott Cunningham, author of the Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Dobu sorcerers in the Pacific would speak their oracles in front of a bowl of water where hibiscus flowers floated.
Hibiscus is originally from Egypt and Asia. In these countries he is
cultivated also for its ornamental aspect and appreciated since antiquity. In the Arab tradition, hibiscus tea is considered an aphrodisiac and to arouse sexual desire, it is advisable to carry it in small sachets, or boil the buds of the plant as an exciting perfume. The K'iche´ Maya (one of the Mayan ethnic groups) in Guatemala used it to cure rubella. In ancient Egypt a drink was made known as the drink of the pharaohs, also called karkadeh. Africans quenched their thirst during long superhuman marches, with their cold, refreshing and restorative infusions.
Hibiscus was introduced to the European continent in the 12th century thanks to the Moors of Spain, and in America in the 17th century by the slaves. There are more than 30,000 varieties of hibiscus, the most appreciated and which we are referring to is the Hibiscus sabdariffa , produced today in Africa mainly in Senegal, Mali, Togo among other countries. Hibiscus is the base ingredient of bissap, a typical Senegalese drink, and its name varies from country to country as: Jamaica Water in Mexico, as its flower is known as Jamaica Flower, Bilenni in Mali, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, like Carcadé, Karkadé and even Karkadeh, in East Africa and the Middle East and Gooseberry in the Antilles.
In the Portuguese language vinagreira, Guinea sorrel, guinea cress, etc.
It is probably one of the only plants whose petals laden with organic acids can be compared to a fruit and used as such. Its food purposes are known practically all over the world. In East Africa, this variety of hibiscus is much appreciated and its leaves are eaten raw and cooked like vegetables. In other countries like Mauritania and Senegal, red flowers are used in the preparation of Bissap, a syrup and infusion that produces a red drink that can be ingested with sugar, a drink
this equally appreciated in Mexico, Jamaica, Egypt and East Africa. Hibiscus is used in countless cuisines throughout the world and is part of the composition of countless dishes from South America, Central America, Africa and Asia. In Ethiopia, refreshing acidified drinks with a beautiful pink color are prepared. It was during the war in Ethiopia that the Italian soldiers got to know the karkadé, and were refreshed by this infusion.
In East Africa it is used to cure a cough, in Guatemala for a hangover, in Senegal to lower blood pressure, in India, Africa and Central America as a diuretic to stimulate bile production and lower fever.
In the kitchen: used in hot and cold drinks, syrups, fruit juices and jams. In the Antilles, they smell ponches at Christmas parties and it is also used to make chutney and in the food industry as a natural dye.
Flavor: fruity, acidic and refreshing.
Medicinal properties: Flowers are beneficial in controlling blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems and also acts in reducing cholesterol. Its antiseptic action is highly effective in digestive tract problems, it acts in the inflammation of the respiratory tract by lowering the fever and calming the cough, and because it is extremely rich in vitamin C, it improves fatigue. It acts on gastrointestinal spasms and stomach pains, helps with liver problems, is effective in diabetes and facilitates digestion by strengthening the elimination of toxins from the kidneys. Helps in weight loss diets and cellulite reduction.
Its tea is recommended as a substitute for artificial sports drinks marketed for practitioners of physical exercises due to its high capacity to refresh the body. This property is documented by the cultures of the countries that include it in their food. This advantage is probably associated with the diuretic properties that help the excretion of excess fluids from the body. Rich in mucilage, it stimulates the production of collagen and inhibits the advancement of diseases related to rheumatism.
In external use it is excellent for reducing and relieving edema and exudation, eczema, skin diseases and abscess.
Here is a long list of its powers: antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, restorative of the body's forces, urinary antiseptic, diuretic, antihypertensive, prehypertensive, cholesterol, inflammation, fever, cough, fatigue, gastrointestinal spasms, stomach pains, liver disorders, diabetes, digestion, dysentery, renal elimination, edema, eczema, skin diseases, abscesses and more.
Conservation: In pots or jars closed in a dry place and protected from light.
Lightning Recipes:
Note: remember that as I said before, the above article is the result of research on several sites, therefore, I do not prove any of the above effectiveness, because like some of you, it is the first time that I focus on this plant, so always consult a doctor before introducing different eating habits into your daily life.
Published on 19/01/2016