Herbs |
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| Herbs have played an important part in the
history of Man, from very early ages to the present day. They
have had a variety of uses throughout the world, from condiments
to charms against witch craft. Herbs have been used in floral
decorations at weddings and funerals and to adorn the heads
of victorious sports persons. An exact time of when herbs
were first collected or planted is unknown but a papyrus dating
back to 1500BC reveals that Egyptian doctors regularly prescribed
herbal medicines to their patients |
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But what is an Herb? There are
many varying definitions but no simple one to apply to all.
Many lay people define an herb to be a plant that has medicinal
or culinary uses.
There are 3 main groups, or families, of Herb. These are
Umbelliferae - the majority of these are pleasantly scented
and greatly used in cooking (i.e. Parsley & Coriander);
Compositae - these mainly have daisy-like flowers and strong-odoured,
bitter foliage (ie. Chamomile & Tarragon) and are widely
used in the preparation of medicines; and finally Labiate
- treasured by both cooks and chemists alike (Lavender,
Sage, Peppermint).
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| The use of herbs
is frequently mentioned in the Old and New Testament and
many classical poets made reference to them in their works
Over the centuries, travellers and traders took herbs native
to the Mediterranean region over to the Orient and similarly
brought herbs back from Asia to Europe. Many of these failed
but thanks to the herb gardens of various European monasteries,
where monks used the herbs for both culinary and medicinal
purposes, others thrived. It is due to the cultivation of
herbs by many religious orders that certain species were
saved from vanishing. |
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| As the years passed the use of herbs greatly
increased throughout Europe,with the exception of England.
After conquering Britain in 1066, the Normans sent to France
for herbs. While certain of these plants did not appeal to
the English palette many, in particular those with curative
properties, became welcome additions to the native medicinal
herb lists. |
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With advances in science, herbs
have been valued mainly for their culinary uses in recent
years but with the advancement of 'alternative' remedies they
are once again being acknowledged for their medicinal properties.
The medicinal use of herbs should always be used under the
supervision of your doctor or therapist but the most basic
'remedies' can be found on shop shelves - herbal teas and
even the good old-fashioned peppermint sweet! |
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| Being relatively easy to plant
and grow, herbs native to this climate can be found in beds
and borders nationwide and many free-seeding varieties, such
as tansy and feverfew, can even be found growing wild. Many
supermarkets now stock 'pot herbs' for cooking and even people
without gardens should have little difficulty in growing a
few herbs on a bright windowsill. |
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| Contributed by Eleanor Saunders |
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