The Mediterranean Summer festival at Kew ran during the summer of
2007. Rosemary - history
Rosemary
Rosemary has been highly revered as a medicinal and culinary herb for many centuries. It was important to ancient Greeks and Romans who used it frequently. It has also been found in the tombs of ancient Egyptians. In medieval times rosemary was believed to 'fortify' your brain and memory, and was mentioned in many herbals of the day. Gerard (1633) advised it should be taken to remedy weakness and coldness of the brain, while Culpepper (1653) also recommended it for 'giddiness and swimmings therein'.
Students sitting exams were often given garlands or wreaths to wear to help improve their memory.
Another famous use of rosemary was as an ingredient for 'Hungary water' (which has nothing to do with dieting!). A Viennese manuscript dated 1235 gives the recipe for this miracle water which included rosemary, myrtle and lavender and was used as a body rub to treat the then paralysed Queen of Hungary, and apparently worked as a cure. It was prepared by putting 1 1/2 lb of fresh Rosemary tips in full flower into 1 gallon of wine, this was allowed to stand for four days and then distilled. This was also said to be good for gout!
The name rosemary has nothing to do with the rose or the name Mary, but derives from the Latin name Rosmarinus, which means "dew of the sea", though some think this too may be derived from an earlier name.
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