Herb. No. 147 · Apiaceae
Southwest Asian and Mediterranean perennial, a Maggi-herb of European yards.
Native · Mediterranean · West Asia
Native Also grown
LegalGentleplant
Lovage
Levisticum officinale
A perennial celery that forgot to be polite — Maggi-herb of European yards, a stock leaf with a long digestive record.
Lovage is a tall Mediterranean and West Asian umbel that tastes of celery and yeast extract. Traditional European use is in soup, as a salt-herb, and as a digestive seed. Culinary leaf is the daily path. One plant is a hedge. Do not confuse a wild umbel you cannot name with this garden perennial.
Flavor
Celery, parsley, a little Maggi cube. Loud. A leaf is a bay leaf that shouts.
Parts used
Leaf · Stem · Seed · Root in old kitchens
Helpful
- A perennial celery that comes every year
- One plant feeds a street
Cautions
- Huge
- Seed and root are stronger than leaf
- Umbellifer lookalikes in the wild