A typical entry from The Herbalist in the Kitchen.

Lovage

Levisticum officinale

Other Common or Ethnic Names

Bladder Seed, Cornish Lovage, Garden Lovage, Italian Lovage, Love Parsley, Old English Lovage, Sirenas

Lovage root appears in old herbals and apothecaries as "Folia Levistici" or "Radix Levistici." An old scientific name (in fact, the name bestowed by Linnaeus himself) is "Ligusticum Levisticum."

Denmark: Loevstikke

Estonia: Harilik Leeskputk

Finland: Libbsticka, Liperi

France: Ache de Montagne, Celeri Perpetuel, Gaya Atige Simple, Liveche

Germany: Badekraut, Liebstock, Liebstockel, Luststock, Maggikraut

Hungary: Lestyan

Iceland: Skessujurt

Italy: Levistico, Ligustico, Maggi, Sedano di Montagna, Sedano di Monte

Mexico: Levistico, Zazlipatli

Netherlands: Maggiplant, Mankracht, Lavas, Lubbestok

Norway: Lopstikke

Poland: Lubczyk Ogrodowy

Romania: Leustean

Russia: Goritsvet, Guljavitsa, Krovavnik, Ljubistok, Zorja

Spain: Apio de Montaña, Ligústico, Levistico

Sweden: Libsticka

Turkey: Selam Otu

Related Species

Ligusticum monnieri: Gieng Sang or Xa Sang (Vietnam)

Ligusticum porteri: Chuchupate, Osha (Mexico); Lovage, Masterwort, Porter's Lovage

Ligusticum scoticum: Scotch Lovage

Growth Habits

Perennial

Origin: Southern Europe

Range: Naturalized from Pennsylvania, south to Virginia, and west as far as

Montana and New Mexico

Culinary Uses

Seeds are used as flavoring for breads, cordials, potatoes, poultry dressings, rice and salads. They appear in the recipes for some French liqueurs. They are sometimes pickled in brine.

Aromatic edible flowers used in confections, as are the crystallized stems.

Roots are sometimes brewed as tea or shredded for use in salads. They are also preserved in honey.

Leaves are used in cheeses, eggs, salads, stews and with chicken. A small amount can be added to Bechamel-based sauces, such as Mornay, for use on baked fish.

In Turkey, a kind of meatloaf is made using Allspice, Garlic and Lovage in the forcemeat. It is served with yogurt and Mint.

Lovage leaves can be used in any recipe that calls for Celery Leaves -- just use less, as Lovage is about twice as strong in flavor. As always, don't take my word for it -- always taste your ingredients. Don't be an unthinking slave to anyone's recipe.

Lovage tastes and smells of celery (because the two species both contain Cedanolid), with a hint of yeast, but with a spicier, sweet-hot character derived from Coumarin (up to 43,000 ppm), Hexanol (up to 600 ppm), Copaene (up to 300 ppm), b-Phellandrene (up to 250 ppm) and a-Pinene (up to 200 ppm). Its warmth is reminiscent of Caraway, due to minute quantities of Carvacrol and Eugenol.

Scotch Lovage, Ligusticum scoticum, is used like Angelica (q.v.).

Other Uses

Ornamental in herb gardens.

Comments

All of these Lovages are targeted by Parsleyworms (see Comments, under Dill).

(Notes: diacriticals have been removed on the online version of this excerpt from The Herbalist in the Kitchen; they are included in the print version. Names of ingredients -- other than proper nouns -- are capitalized in the text if they have entries of their own, elsewhere in the book. A large and detailed glossary explains the technical terms used in the entries.)

Copyright 2006 by Gary Allen

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