knowing & using rosemary

original article

While enjoying your rosemary tea, why not sit down and know more about its story.
"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance."
-- Shakespeare's Hamlet to Ophelia

Why called "rosemary":
The botanical name for rosemary is derived from the old Latin for "dew of the sea"--
a reference to its pale blue dew-like flower and the fact that it is often grown near the sea. It is a symbol of remembrance and friendship.

Now view the description of rosemary~
Rosemary is an ever green shrub with needle-like leaves. Its blue flowers last through spring and summer in a warm and humid environment.It will grow to a height of between 3 and 5 feet.


The Romance of Rosemary
http://health.learninginfo.org/herbs/rosemary.htm

The ancient perennial's legend grew in the 14th century; 72-year-old Queen Elizabeth of Hungary used it as a treatment to her rheumatism and gout, and enhanced her health and beauty, even fanned the passion of 26-year-old King of Poland who requested her hand in marriage. It became known as Hungary water and the aide of beauty for women for hundreds of years.

Ancient Romans and Greeks are familiar with this shrub as well. They thought it would improve their memories and rejuvenate their spirits. Greek scholars wore garlands of rosemary during examinations in order to improve their memory and concentration.

While Christians called rosemary "Holy Herb" and associated it with Mary, who, according to Spanish legend, drops her cloak over a rosemary bush while on Holy Family's flight to Egypt, turning the color of rosemary blossoms from white color to blue.


How to grow them (cultivation):
It can be grown from seeds, cuttings, and layer.
Choose a sheltered position and a well-drained soil, and allow the plant lots of sun. In a warm climate it could remain in the same location up to 30 years.
You can start planting them by "Cutting":To take a branch fresh off the plant and plant it in soil


Uses for Health
Congratulations!! You might be reducing the risk of cancer already...
Rosemaries are frequent used in preventing cancers, cosmetic uses, and culinary uses.
A professor showed that applying rosemary oil to the skin of experimental animals reduced the risk of cancer to half that found in the animals that did not receive application of oil. Besides, other studies show that animals whose diets contained rosemary oils have half the incidence of colon cancer or lung cancer and breast cancer compared with animals not eating rosemary.
However, researchers pointed out that rosemary oils should not be taken internally.
Use a tea instead.
Pregnant women should not use rosemary medicinally, although it's okay to use it as a seasoning.

Rosemary used in cooking:

vocabulary:
remembrance--回憶起的往事--There's rosemary, that's for remembrance.
pale--(淡的)顏色--it's pale blue color
shrub--矮樹 灌木--Rosemary is an ever green shrub.
well-drained --通水良好的--Choose a well-drained soil
Hungary--匈牙利--Elizabeth is the queen of Hungary.
rejuvenate--變年輕--They believed that rosemary would rejuvenate their spirits.
aide--助手--Rosemary is the aide of beauty for women through hundreds of years.
enhanced--增大的--Taking rosemary shower has enhanced the beauty and health of Queen Elizabeth.
gout--痛風--She suffered from gout for many years.
rheumatism--風濕病--She used rosemary as the medicine for rheumatism.
tonic--生髮水--Some people used rosemary as the tonic or stimulant.