Copyright 2019 Art of LIving, PrimaMedia,Inc.
Guest Editor: Natasha Hague
Herbs are considered some of the most flavorful and natural ingredients. Even though they bring their own unique flavor to any dish they are used in, each has their own mythical story to tell...
Mythology tells stories of warriors in battle, maidens falling in love and gods granting wishes or demise upon their people. Among these great tales are the beginnings of some common herbs found in the kitchen.
One story tells of Hades falling in love with a tree fairy named Minthe. Persephone;Hades' wife, became so jealous that she turned Minthe into a ground plant. Persephone's magic
was so strong Hades could not break it to bring back his love. To remedy the situation, he decided to put his own spell on the now plant Minthe. He made the plant so sweet smelling that people were drawn to it. As more people picked Minthe and planted it in their own gardens itspread further. Eventually people found many uses for the new plant, Mint.
Basil has a different story to tell...An existing myth is that Basil comes from a mythical being called the Basilisk. The Basilisk is not like its
Hollywood "large snake" counterpart, it resembles a present-day bearded dragon. Basil was known to calm the Basilisk which is why it was given a name derived from the creature.
Thyme is derived from the Greek word thymus, meaning courage. It was given this name because thyme attracted bees, bees made honey, and honey was loved by gods and goddesses.
Thyme was given to warriors before battle for this reason.
I love the way herbs add not only flavor but a story to a recipe..add some history to your dishes in simple way by adding an herb..
For more great recipes get your copy of the Gourmand World Award Winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays and Special Occasions, 2nd editiom
