From ancient times, rosemary is known to the Egyptians and Greeks. There were times when sheep grazed on rosemary fields, as a result of which their meat then acquired a peculiar and rather pleasant taste. This to some extent contributed to the fact that rosemary in cooking has gained popularity.
Also, ancestors were well known for rosemary honey, used for medicinal purposes. Rosemary is grown in Spain, Morocco, Italy, Tunisia and Greece. There are currently several types of this product on sale. Basically, these are all kinds of seasonings and oils from the leaves and flowers of a plant.
In cooking, rosemary is used both as an independent seasoning and as one of the ingredients for various seasoning mixtures. It blends particularly well with thyme and marjoram. If you cook meat with rosemary, then it will be filled with additional taste and aroma (especially game and lamb). In addition, the plant is widely used for flavoring alcoholic beverages: vodka, liquor, honey wines and, interestingly, even beer.
Rosemary seasoning can improve the taste of almost all soups made of vegetables, fried potatoes, pizza, as well as all kinds of dark sauces. A special combination of rosemary is seen with mushrooms and garlic (if all this is stewed in wine). Due to its qualities, rosemary is part of the Provence herbs seasoning , and if you add it to the marinade, made on the basis of oil and vinegar, it will give it a unique flavor.
A feature of this plant is its ability to preserve all its aromatic properties, even when dry. With a long cooking process, the aroma also does not disappear. For this reason, it can be added to the dish at the first stage of its preparation, and removed before serving, then the pungent smell will go away, and only the characteristic aroma will remain.
In cooking, rosemary should be used carefully, some moderation at a dosage must be observed. Otherwise, the dish may be completely ruined. Seasoning will be less bitter if you use leaves and twigs in their entirety. Finely chopped rosemary is recommended to be added only to bread or a complex marinade.
Lamb and pork are very well combined with this seasoning; the dish “chicken with rosemary” is equally tasty. As shown by many years of experience, baked vegetables - tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini - successfully combine with this seasoning.
For lovers of cooking kebabs or other dishes on an open fire, the rosemary flavor will be to their liking. For this purpose, plant branches can be laid directly on the coals. There is another interesting idea - to use sprigs of rosemary as fragrant skewers.
The plant has some peculiar characteristics. For example, its leaves contain very little water. This circumstance makes it possible to independently flavor the butter and vegetable oil. Seasoning can complement the taste of various fresh dishes (such as pasta) or add to the dough for flat cakes.
Rosemary in cooking is also widely used because it has a number of useful properties. It is able to neutralize and remove toxins from the liver, as well as activate the production of cleansing enzymes and thereby produce a natural cleansing of the liver.
Seasoning is becoming more and more popular, it is used in an increasing number of recipes, allowing you to cook surprisingly aromatic and delicious dishes. And besides, it is indispensable in the preparation of fatty dishes, as the essential oils contained in rosemary help to stimulate the work of the gallbladder and liver, and this in turn affects the improvement of the entire digestive tract.