[Sca-cooks] culinary lavender

[Stefan li Rous]

Mike asked:
> Thanx for the response.  I am actually growing French Lavender in my
> garden, and will probably end up using it.  The nurseryman to whom I
> spoke seemed to think that any of the common lavenders is OK, but I
> thought I read somewhere that English lavender was better for cooking.
You might be interested in some of the comments in this file in the 
PLANTS, HERBS AND SPICES section of the Florilegium:
lavender-msg      (29K)  5/29/09    Period use of Lavender in food and 
elsewhere
http://www.florilegium.org/files/PLANTS/lavender-msg.html

A few comments from this file:
> French Lavender (Lavandula dentata)
> English Lavender (L. vera, L. officinalis, L. spica)
> Italian Lavender (L. stoechas)

> Rosemary states that English lavender was not cultivated in England 
> until
> about 1568 (sadly she does not give her reference for this statement)
>
> She says that French lavender is the hardiest and blooms all year, and 
> that
> lavender oil is made from both the flowers and the leaves.
> English lavender is more highly scented and lavender oil is made from 
> the
> flowers only.  It is also favoured for dried lavender.
> Italian lavender is not used for oil/perfume but as a fresh strewing 
> herb,
> especially in Spain and Portugal, and its flowers are used by the 
> Arabs for
> medicinal preparations.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****