Herbs are the annual or perennial plants that are mostly grown as unsteady small shrub. They are special plants which contain fragrant, essence, and strong flavor that could use as an addition to the food. They would increase the flavor and color of the dishes and make them become more delicious and attractive. They are also used in cosmetics, producing medicine and perfume.
History of herbs
Herbs were used thousands of years BC, popularly in medicine. Millennia BC, they were used as medicine by Sumerians. The Ancient Egyptian used them not only in medicine, but also in cosmetics, food and fragrance. The fragrance could be easily found in Ancient Tombs and Embalmment of Egypt. China was also popular with remedies which made from them very early. In the last years BC and early EC, the Romans used herbs and spices widely, and also spread them to Europe. Centuries after that, through many up and down periods of time, herbs together of spices become popular throughout the world.
In cuisine
In cooking, the leaves and green part of the herbs plants will be used. After harvested from the plants and washed, they could be used directly: we could add them to the dishes or drinks to increase flavor, or use them as decoration. They could be dried to prolong the usage time. Dried them could be kept up to 6 months, but the flavor could be reduced.
They are used widely in eastern and western cuisine. The combination of them and dishes are very popularly, for the difference of cuisine culture between countries and areas. Asian countries usually combine them and food to make the balance to the dish. In western cuisine, where meats are very popular as main dish, they are used to increase the flavor of the dish, and especially to remove the typical smell of red meat. They are also joined in the drink recipes, make them become more tastily.
Herbs and Sacredness
The most famous herbs that were known must be myrrh and frankincense, which were mentioned in the birth of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. They were gifts of three Kings to worship Jesus when He came to the world.
One type of their popular that was worshiped as a sacred symbol in Hindu belief is the holy basil. For the Hindus, this herb was considered as the embodiment of the Goddess Tulsi who was the great worshipper of god Vishnu.
Some other herbs as sage, sweet grass were also used in rituals of the Native American.
With the variety of culture alongside human history, there must be still many other herbs that hold sacred meaning to people around the world. Some of their stories could be recorded to us, but surely the other ones are still enigmatic and could be hard for human to find the answer.
