Lovage - Levisticum officinale - aka English Lovage, Bladder Seed, Love Parsley and céleri batard (false celery).
I first came across lovage cordial as a young child. Brandy and lovage was accepted as one of those drinks that was okay to consume at any time of the day or night because of its medicinal properties. I often wondered if this was one of my grandmother's excuses to get 'tiddly'!
Lovage is an herb belonging to the Umbelliferae family; its aroma is reminiscent of celery. It has been used throughout the ages to settle the digestion and as a diuretic; it was claimed to be a 'wonder-drug' in the middle ages, when all parts of the plant were used for culinary and medicinal purposes.
The lovage plant is a perennial which grows well in the UK although it is thought to have originated in the Middle East. It has tall, hollow stems growing up to 5 feet high, and a thick fleshy roots, both of which are edible. The leaves are similar to celery leaves in shape; they are aromatic and a powerful but tasty addition to salads, soups and stews. The umbels of pale yellow flowers form on top of long stems in early summer and the fruits are small, brown and elliptical. It is easy to propagate by seed or by division of the root.
Medicinal uses
- An infusion of the seeds or leaves has diuretic properties
- The leaves used to be put into travellers' shoes for their deodorant and antiseptic properties
- A decoction of lovage was thought to be a powerful aphrodisiac
- It is a useful herb for treating colic and flatulence in infants and children
- Culpepper recommended that an infusion dropped into the eyes taketh away their redness or dimness.
- An infusion in water can be used as a mouth wash and a gargle for sore throats
- A few drops of lovage cordial added to brandy settles the digestion (allegedly!)
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