Common name: Aloe Vera (sometimes called Barbados Aloe, Medicinal Aloe)Most Aloes grows upright with thick, succulent leaves in a rosette. The leaves are lance-shaped with a sharp apex and a spiny margin. Usually Aloe flowers bloom in the fall with golden-orange tubular forms on spikes.
It ranges in size from very short flower stems to [...] [...more]
Common Names: mint, spearmint, peppermint, curly mint, ginger mint, apple mint
Parts Used: Leaves and flowers
Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue and sometimes pale yellow.
The peppermint leaf is rarely used in cooking, but the oil is used for making sweets and medicinal flavourings.
Culinary Uses:
The leaves have a pleasant warm, fresh, aromatic, [...] [...more]
Common Names: Jasmine, Jessamine, Yasmin
Parts Used: Flowers
Jasmine is a popular house plant. The flowers are generally white, although some species have yellow and red flowers. They are often strongly and sweetly scented.
The delicate Jasmine flower opens only at night and is plucked in the morning when the tiny petals are tightly closed. Between six and [...] [...more]
Common Names: Mustard
Latin Name: Brassica spp.
Parts Used: Leaves and seeds.
Culinary Uses:
A cooked hot dog garnished with mustard. Use the tender young leaves as a tangy addition to salads. Use the seeds to flavour pickles or chutney, or grind them to make mustard. Dry mustard, typically sold in tins, is used in cooking and can be [...] [...more]
Common Name: Garlic
Latin Name: Allium sativum
Parts Used: Bulbs
Culinary Uses: Garlic adds zest to every kind of food except desserts. Roast cloves whole in their skins to spread on toast. Toss a clove into soups and stews. Crush and use in Italian, French, and Asian dishes.
Medicinal Uses: The active ingredient in garlic - Allicin, which [...] [...more]
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Common Names: Bay, Sweet Bay, Bay Laurel
Parts Used: Leaves
Sweet Bay or Bay Laurel is a Mediterranean tree. The leaves are shiny, smooth and dark with a strong aromatic scent.
Culinary Uses:
Bay leaves are a fixture in the cooking of many European cuisines (particularly those of the Mediterranean), as well as in North America. They are [...] [...more]
Common Names: Cayenne is also known as hot pepper, chilli pepper, paprika, and red pepper, is an effective remedy for muscular tension, rheumatism, and digestive ailments.
Parts Used: Fruits
Culinary Uses: Add a half-a-pinch of ground cayenne to just about anything.
Medicinal Uses:
Cayenne can also be taken orally, and is available in both capsules and tinctures. There is [...] [...more]
Common Names: Basil
Latin Name: Ocimum Basilicum
Parts Used: Leaves
Culinary Uses:
Basil is most commonly recommended to be used fresh. In cooked recipes it is generally added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavour. Finely chopped basil stirred into mayonnaise makes a good sauce for fish. Use as a garnish for vegetables, chicken and [...] [...more]
Latin: The word “valerian” is thought to be derived from the Latin valere, meaning “to be healthy or strong.” Valerian has been used orally for centuries as a sedative, sleep aid, antispasmodic, and digestive aid. Traditional Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicine recommends valerian for treatment of insomnia.
Parts Used: Roots
Medicinal Uses: Valerian is a tranquilizer useful [...] [...more]