Food Product Design: Design Applications - January 2005 - Everything’s Coming Up Rosemary

January 2005

Everything's Coming Up Rosemary

By Christianne IngegnoApplications Editor

Used since 500 B.C., rosemary, a member of the mint family, is one of the oldest herbs on record. Native to the Mediterranean, it grows wild in the hillsides and valleys in much of Central Europe. Today, Europeans and Americans cultivate it for mass production and processing. While rosemary is mostly used for culinary purposes these days, its legacy is long and varied, and includes medicinal uses for ailments of the nervous system and stomach, and for headache relief. Ancient Greeks believed it enhanced memory, and even now, students in Greece who are preparing for exams burn rosemary in their homes. Many ancients also believed rosemary warded off evil spirits, and it often was burned in hospital rooms to purify the air and prevent infections.

Rosemary's aromatic, silver-green, needle-shaped leaves come from a perennial shrub that grows up to seven feet in height and produces small, pinkish-purple, orchid-like flowers along its stems. Its strong flavor hints of lemon and pine, and the plant contains vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, iron, potassium, sodium, zinc and phosphorus. Rosemary contains antioxidant compounds, especially carnosol and carnosic acid, that can act as antioxidants in foods, much in the same way as artificial preservatives, such as BHA and BHT.

Rosemary easily overpowers foods if it's used too liberally. But, when used sparingly, it enhances the flavor of sweet and savory applications. It's a common seasoning for meats, including lamb and game, as well as beef, and also works well with poultry, from plebian chicken to more glamorous pheasant, and seafood. Rosemary also works particularly well in grilled applications. When tossed onto the charcoal or wood fires, fresh rosemary permeates the meat through the smoking process, providing a subtle, yet unmistakable, flavor.

When used in soups, stews and casseroles, rosemary adds a flavorful boost. It also works well with vegetables, such as beans, cabbage, eggplant, tomatoes, squash, mushrooms, spinach and other greens, as well as starches, like potatoes, pasta dishes and rice. For an exciting twist, add a dash to fruits, like pears, apples, oranges or cranberries. Use it in cheeses for flavor, or in cream/milk applications, marinades, sauces, relishes, jams, jellies and baked items.  

Visually dramatic, rosemary sprigs add eye appeal when used as a garnish. Other ingredient variations include whole-leaf form (fresh, IQF, freeze-dried and dried), ground, powdered, and oil made from both the stems and leaves. For the best flavor results, use fresh rosemary.

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• Photo credit: Brian Wetzstein Photography

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