CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- WHAT ARE HERBS?
In
the curlinary arts the word herb refers to any green or bein part of a plant
used for seasoning and flavouring a recipe but not used as the main ingredient.
Hebs
are natural form of wide plants or their parts such as plower, ol, stem rich in
bioactive chemical compounds so called herbiceuticals”. The main difference
between pharmaceutical drug and herbal principles is their isolation method and
purification level.
Herbs are ric in natural complex chemicals, bioactive
herbal principles (whole herbs, extracts or concentrates) may be used as
“bioactive herbal formulations” as combinations of different active chemicals
of plants or their parts combined with know enzyme inhibitoes, vitamins and
alkalizing minerals that have in healt promoting, disease preventing or semi
medional properties.
1.2 TYPES OF HERBS
Herbs
are harvested from leaves of herbaeous (meaning nonwoody) plants. Here are some
types of herbs
- Thyme:
it is an antisoptic, its good asa a mouth rinse when infused in hot water (
cool and strain), also good for killing germs around your house, infuse, and
use in a spray bottle with a 5m amt of white vinegar and top off with distilled
water.
- Garlic:
when planting your own herbs, garlic is a great addition to your garden. It is
one of those edible herbs that is aluesome in just about anything you put it
in. it is more of an onion.
- Bay leaf:
this is great in soups and stews and is grown as a bush in the wild that get
quite large. However, in a small pot in your kitchen, it is quite easy to
monitors.
- Bail:
it is quite popular as for as edible herbs. It is great in tomato sources and
other tomato dishes. It requires a lot of sun, and demands that you pinch off
the ripe leaves so it will continue to get bigger.
- Chives:
when it comes to the type of herbs you put in your food on a regular basis, you
donts want to forget about chives. As far as adile herbs go. Chives are great
in potatoes, dips and even as a garnish to a lot of creamy soups. They grow up
like tall grass and easily clipped when needed.
- Dill: it is one of the common herbs that is not only great in dips and
solad dressings, bat it is a wonderful smelling plant just to have in the
garden
Herbs
(there are many, but here are some): cinnamon, peppermint garlic, chivers
(yes), angelic rosemary, sunflower, dogrose, bay, aloevera, balm of gilead,
dill, foxglove etc
Remember, while some herbs we use
oiten in meals, others, are poisonous. Learn about them before you even touch
them. Foxglove. For example, while it may be used in medicine to treat heart
problems, are poisonous otherwise.
- USES OF HERBS
Herbs can be
beneficial for those who are tying to cut back on fat, sugar and salt in their
foods. Pay adding extra flovour to a dish with herbs. You may be able to reduce
the amount of fats from ingredients such as cheese, butter or oil. Some herbs
can also in decreasing the need for added salt in a recipe, this include dill
seeds. Garlic power e.t.c here is the uses of some herbs.
|
Garlic
|
Used to treat yeast
infections in women, used as an antibiotic to reduce cholesterol and high
blood pressure. It is also used in preparing salad and salad dressing |
|
Thyme
|
It is crushed and
applied to clean cuts and abrasious as an antisoptic. In tea form, it is used
for colds menstrual cramps and to calm the stomach. |
|
Chamomile
|
It is used as a sedative. It also reduces
fever relieves digestive ailments. |
|
Cinnamon
|
It is used to
control blood sugar levels, and it also treats urinary tract and yeast infections. |
|
Cloves
|
Used as a wound
antiseptic, also used to treat diarrhea. |
|
Angelica
rosemary |
Used to calm the
digestive system, and in oil form can be rubbed into muscles to relieve
soreness and increase circulation. |
|
basil |
Goes well with all
tomato dishes cooled or fresh, solad dressing etc |
|
Dill |
Used in salad
dessing and also serve as wonderful smelling plant just to have in the
garden. |
|
Bay
leaf |
Used in soup, stew,
sauces and also add a rustic flavor to onion. |