Botanical Name: Levisticum officinale

Common Name:

English: Lovage Root
Also, known as: Maggikruid, Ou dang gui, Old English lovage, Italian lovage Livèche, Liebstockel, Maggikraut, Levistico, Ligústico

Habitat: Europe

Origin: Ukraine

Harvested: Wild or cultivated

Parts Used: Root

General Information:

Levisticum officinale, is an erect herbaceous, perennial herb, reach up to 6-8 feet in height, with small yellow flowers arranged in flat-topped double umbels. It is a culinary herb that is often grown in herb gardens for the celery like flavor of its leaves, stems, roots and seeds. Shiny dark green, triangular shaped, deeply divided leaves smell like celery or lime when crushed. Yellow flower heads borne atop stems in umbels in late spring. The larger basal leaves are up to 25-30-inch-long, tripinnate, with broad triangular to rhomboidal, acutely pointed leaflets with a few marginal teeth; the stem leaves are smaller, and less divided with few leaflets. They have a spicy, slightly bitter taste. Fresh leaves are still popular as a culinary herb in parts of Europe, used in flavoring salads, soups, sauces, stews and vegetables, or in much the same way as celery. The small umbels of tiny flowers are yellow to greenish-yellow, 2–3 mm diameter, appear in spring. The roots are eaten as a vegetable and eaten fresh in salads; the seeds flavor baked goods and cooked dishes. Although lovage is primarily considered an herb, the stems can be blanched and used as a vegetable.

How to use:

Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to 1 cup of water. Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes. Strain and squeeze out as much as liquid as possible and enjoy!

Tips:

You can sweeten your herbal decoctions with a bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder and or licorice root powder.

Precautions:

You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

All information on this website is for educational purposes ONLY.

This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Lovage Root Cut