Dorothy FarrarHyssop
Even the ancient Romans used hyssop . He gave their Hissopites wine the right flavor. In the Middle Ages, monks brought the old medicinal and spice plant from countries beyond the Alps to Central Europe and cultivated it in monastery gardens.
Interesting facts about hyssop
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae) and is popularly known as beeweed and vinegar herb. It is closely related to sage , rosemary and thyme . The perennial herb can grow up to 60 cm high and even grows as a dwarf shrub under favorable conditions.
Hyssop is highly branched, with branches with flaking bark and woody stems. The elongated, pointed leaves are rosette-shaped, opposite and sessile on short shoots. They are entire, hairy or glabrous and have a large number of oil glands on both sides.
From June, the bluish, violet or white 5-petaled flowers appear on terminal spike-like inflorescences. Each flower consists of an erect upper lip and a strongly protruding tripartite lower lip. The nuts are 2 mm in size, smooth and brownish.
Hyssop originally comes from the Middle East and North Africa and is now mainly found in West Asia, South Europe and North Africa. The undemanding plant loves sunny, warm locations on dry, permeable, strongly alkaline, calcareous and mostly stony soil.
The hiker finds it on hills, slopes, roadsides, on rocks and in cracks in walls. The attractive medicinal plant also looks good in the home garden. However, because of its intensive growth, it has to be severely cut back several times a year. If you want to avoid this, you can also grow your hyssop in a pot on the windowsill.
The time just before flowering (June) is best for collecting in the wild. The young fresh leaves are then chopped and processed fresh. They have an intensely spicy-bitter aroma and a note of mint , sage and rosemary. The flowers of the old spice plant are also edible.
importance to health
Hyssop is one of the healthiest herbs of all. The dried, crushed herb is usually used as a natural remedy. Of course, the patient can also prepare the hyssop tea with fresh leaves. Although there are no clinical studies on hyssop, the millennia-long use of the plant is proof enough of its effectiveness.
It has a wide range of applications and helps with inflammatory respiratory diseases such as bronchial asthma , chronic bronchitis , hoarseness , sore throat , colds and infections of the mouth and throat area as well as with digestive disorders ( flatulence , constipation , gastrointestinal catarrh), toothache , ringing in the ears , Loss of appetite , excessive sweating and menstrual irregularities .
Gargling and rinsing the mouth with hyssop tea is effective for sore throats, toothaches and hoarseness. Fresh herb crushed together with sugar and sprinkled on the injury has a wound disinfecting effect and accelerates healing. The tea decoction is used for ablutions.
In earlier times, hyssop baths were even helpful for leprosy . The reason: the top of the leaves is colonized by a fungus that belongs to the Penicillium family.
Those wishing to use hyssop as a natural remedy should follow the recommended dosage closely, as too much of the herb can have the dangerous opposite effect when taken internally. The pinocamphone contained in the essential oil can then have a neurotoxic effect instead of relieving spasms.
Pregnant women and small children should generally not consume hyssop.
Ingredients & nutritional values
The ingredients of hyssop are: limonene, flavonoids (hesperidin, diosmin), rosmarinic acid, marrubiin (tannins), bitter substances, terpenes, essential oil (isopinocamphone, pinocamphone), camphor, pinene, hyssopine (dye), choline, malic acid, sugar, gum, resin etc
| Calories and nutrients (per 100g) | ||
| kilocalories/kilojoules | 255 kcal/ 1060 kj | |
| protein | 13,20 g | |
| carbohydrates | 25,20 g | |
| Fett | 2,40 g | |
| fiber | 39,40 g | |
intolerances
If you are allergic to plants from the mint family ( basil , mint, lemon balm , rosemary, etc.), hyssop should not be used.
Shopping and kitchen tips
Hyssop is available as a fresh herb from spring to summer at many weekly markets. If you want to prepare the hyssop tea, you can buy dried hyssop herb in the pharmacy or in the health food store.
The fresh spice plant is placed in a glass filled with water and can be kept for several days. Dried herb is stored airtight and protected from light in a well-closable container. Before preparation, the fresh hyssop herb is thoroughly rinsed and shaken dry. Then the leaves and flowers are plucked off and chopped.
preparation tips
Hyssop is ideal for salads, vegetable side dishes, tomato dishes and for preparing herbal quark, sauces, soups and roasts. Potato soup with hyssop is also very tasty .
The fresh herb is the most aromatic. Since it has an intense taste, just a few leaves or flowers are enough. Hyssop can be excellently mixed with other spices and kitchen herbs. Its flowers are also a pretty decoration.
French apricot cake or peach dessert with dried ground hyssop sprinkled on top tastes extremely delicious . In cocktails, the well-known spice provides a tart, spicy taste.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.