Rosemary

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, synonym Rosmarinus officinalis) is an evergreen shrub of the mint family (Lamiaceae), 0.5–1.5 m tall, with prostrate or erect branches and a woody base. The leaves are narrow and needle-like, 2–4 cm long, glossy green above, densely white-hairy beneath, with rolled margins and a characteristic pungent aroma. The flowers are blue or pale violet, with a clear upper and lower lip, arranged in whorls around the branches at the leaf axils; they bloom mainly in spring and summer. The fruit is four small nutlets. The whole plant is fragrant from essential oil; both fresh and dried leaves are usable, making rosemary a famous herb of Mediterranean cuisine and medicine.

Rosemary originates from the Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, Greece) and has been an icon of European cuisine and culture since antiquity; today it is grown worldwide. In Vietnam it is cultivated mainly in Da Lat, Sapa, the Central Highlands and other cool regions; the leaves season lamb, chicken and fish, and are used for roasting, stir-fry, focaccia and herb salts. Leaves and oil contain 1,8-cineole, camphor, alpha-pinene plus rosmarinic acid, carnosol and caffeic acid — powerful antioxidant polyphenols; the oil is used in perfumes, shampoos, soaps and food flavourings. Folk use of leaf infusions supports memory, circulation and digestion; research records antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and liver-protective activity.