Lovage (
Levisticum officinale) is a plant, the
leavesIn botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin. There is continued debate about whether the flatness of leaves evolved to expose the chloroplasts to more light or to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide. In...
and seeds or fruit of which are used to flavor food, especially in South European cuisine. It is a tall (3 to 9 ft)
perennialA perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants...
that vaguely resembles its cousin
celeryApium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery or celeriac depending on whether the petioles or roots are eaten.- Taxonomy :...
in appearance and in flavor. Lovage also sometimes gets referred to as
smallage, but this is more properly used for celery.
The
fruitThe term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants disseminate seeds, and the presence of seeds indicates that a structure is most likely a fruit, though not all seeds come from...
of the lovage plant can be used as a
spiceA spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavour, colour, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth....
, but what appears in the trade as lovage seed is usually
ajwainAjwain , is an uncommon spice except in certain areas of Asia.-Characteristics:...
, not lovage.
Lovage (
Levisticum officinale) is a plant, the
leavesIn botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin. There is continued debate about whether the flatness of leaves evolved to expose the chloroplasts to more light or to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide. In...
and seeds or fruit of which are used to flavor food, especially in South European cuisine. It is a tall (3 to 9 ft)
perennialA perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants...
that vaguely resembles its cousin
celeryApium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery or celeriac depending on whether the petioles or roots are eaten.- Taxonomy :...
in appearance and in flavor. Lovage also sometimes gets referred to as
smallage, but this is more properly used for celery.
Characteristics
The
fruitThe term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants disseminate seeds, and the presence of seeds indicates that a structure is most likely a fruit, though not all seeds come from...
of the lovage plant can be used as a
spiceA spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavour, colour, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth....
, but what appears in the trade as lovage seed is usually
ajwainAjwain , is an uncommon spice except in certain areas of Asia.-Characteristics:...
, not lovage. On the other hand, what is sold as 'celery seed' is often partially or entirely ground lovage seed.
The root of lovage, which contains a heavy, volatile oil, is used as a mild aquaretic. Lovage root contains furanocoumarins which can lead to
photosensitivityPhotosensitivity is the amount to which an object reacts upon receiving photons, especially visible light.-Interpretation in medicine:Sensitivity of the skin to a light source can take various forms. People with particular skin types are more sensitive to sunburn...
.
Lovage is considered a "frilly panty" companion plant; much as
borageBorage, also known as starflower is an annual herb originating in Syria, but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. It grows to a height of 60-100 cm , and is bristly or hairy all over the stems and leaves; the leaves are...
helps protect almost all plants from pests, so lovage is thought to improve the health of almost all plants.
Etymology
In Germany and Holland, one of the common names of Lovage is
Maggikraut (German) or
Maggiplant (Dutch) because the plant's taste is reminiscent of
MaggiMaggi is a Nestlé brand of instant soups, stocks, bouillon cubes, ketchups, sauces, seasonings and instant noodles. The original company came into existence in 1872 in Switzerland, when Julius Maggi took over his father's mill. It quickly became a pioneer of industrial food production, aiming at...
soup seasoning. In many other European languages the word for lovage derives from Latin
ligusticus (meaning "of Liguria", as the herb used to grow heartily in the
LiguriaLiguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and food.- Geography :...
region of northwest Italy), through its alteration
levisticum: Italian
levistico, French
livèche, Romanian
leuştean, Hungarian
lestyán, Russian любисток
lyubistok, etc. In Bulgaria it is known as девесил
deveseel. The official German name is
Liebstöckel, literally 'love sticklet'. In English the word became
love parsley, and mistakenly, due to the name, lovage was often used in over-the-counter love tonics.
Medicinal uses
Lovage tea can be applied to wounds as an antiseptic, or drunk to stimulate digestion. In the UK, Lovage cordial is traditionally mixed with brandy in the ratio of 2:1 as a winter drink. Lovage is second only to
capersThe caper is a perennial spiny bush that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and big white to pinkish-white flowers. A caper is also the pickled bud of this plant. The bush is native to the Mediterranean region, growing wild on walls or in rocky coastal areas throughout...
in its
quercetinQuercetin quer·ce·tin (ˈkwər-sə-tən) is a plant-derived flavonoid, specifically a flavonol, used as a nutritional supplement. Laboratory studies show it may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties , and it is being investigated for a wide range of potential health benefits...
content.