Rosemary

A strong-flavored herb with silvery green needle-like leaves from an evergreen shrub, Rosmarinus officinalis, which can grow up to 15 feet (4.5 m) in height. Because this minty herb grew wild along the seacoast, the Romans called it ros marinus, meaning "sea spray" or "sea dew", which later became "rosemary", no doubt influenced by the traditional association between the Virgin Mary and her floral symbol, the rose. It was believed that rosemary never grew any taller than Christ, reinforced by the fact that, after a plant attained 33 years of age, it might grow in girth, but never in height. It was said that, originally, the plant had white flowers, but that during her flight to Egypt, the Virgin Mary threw her blue cloak over a plant of rosemary while she and the baby Jesus rested in its shade; in remembrance of this honor, the flowers turned blue.

In the Middle Ages, it was used not only for its medicinal qualities, such as a hair restorer, but also as a symbol of the declaration of courtly love, faith and remembrance. It's one of the main ingredients in the perfume Queen of Hungary Water, a distillation that is mentioned in herb and perfume books as one of the first alcohol-based perfumes. During the 12th century, the Welsh physicians of Myddvai, a small parish in South Wales, known for its medical university, depended heavily on rosemary. Their recipes are charming: "Put the flowers or leaves under your head in bed and you will not be troubled with disagreeable dreams or oppressed with anxiety of mind. Also, if you procure a spoon made of the stock or root of this shrub, in the day you drink some broth with it, you will not receive harm from poison and you will be preserved all that day against thunder and lightning as well as injuries and assaults."

Rosemary has always been associated with fidelity and memory and consequently figured prominently in both weddings and funerals. In some Central and Eastern European countries, it's customary to put a rosemary branch in the hands of the dead, a practice that started with the Romans. The connection between death and love are combined in Ophelia's remark in Hamlet, as she distributed the herb: "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember." Anne of Cleves wore a wreath of rosemary at her wedding to Henry VIII. Supposedly the plant was introduced to England in the 14th century when the wife of King Edward III, Queen Philippa, received some plants from her mother, the Countess of Hainault, as a powerful shield against the plague. The original eau de cologne was made from a rosemary infusion. Rosemary contains flavonoids and other substances that may stimulate the immune system, improve digestion and increase circulation. In Provence, they still make a rosemary tisane using the same recipe as several centuries ago, a simple infusion of rosemary with honey and spices.

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