Botanical Name: Rosmarinus officinalis
Type of Plant: flowering herb
Method of extraction: Steam distillation of the flowering tops
Rosemary is an oil I wouldn’t be without. In practice, I use it mainly for muscle pain and for mental stimulation. Just a whiff of this oil will help pull you out of a mid-afternoon slump. I combine it with Lime to create my Revive inhaler.
When left alone, a Rosemary plant can become a beautiful, full shrub in only a few years. I’ve never had that kind of success with it, since Rosemary can’t winter in my zone. There are Rosemary shrubs all over Vancouver, though, many of them lining the sea wall. Mmmmm, the scent combination of sea air and fresh Rosemary is hard to beat!
Rosemary oil is a very strong antiseptic. It’s possible that it was first used in cooking as a way to preserve meat before the advent of refrigeration, rather than as a flavouring. These antiseptic properties make it a wonderful oil to diffuse in the house during the cold and flu season, or whenever a family member is sick. It’s also great for respiratory infections, so a few drops in the bath can help loosen chest congestion.
Try rubbing some pork chops with dried rosemary and fresh, chopped garlic before placing on the grill.
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