Do you know Lovage? A herb that needs some love.

Spice up your kitchen with Lovage, the Maggi herb, with fragrant leaves.

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) was a prevalent spice in antiquity and the Middle Ages. It is also known as the Maggi herb because of its fragrant leaves. The kitchen herb was present in every garden a hundred years ago.

Today, you can rarely find the classic soup spice. However, the umbelliferae, which can grow up to 2 m high, are an interesting spice and an effective medicinal plant. Insects enjoy flowering Lovage because it is an excellent pollen and nectar supplier.

The perennial, hardy Lovage is a tall perennial with celery-like leaves. It grows to a height of 1.50-2 m and is very easy to care for. The foliage freezes in winter and sprouts again in spring.

How the Lovage got its name is not clear. Rumor has it that the name for the herbaceous plant from the Umbelliferae family goes back to the Latin “Levisticum,” from which the term Lovage developed over the centuries.

Lovage probably originated in the Near or Middle East, from where it also spread to Europe. Above all, it likes it warm, so it is only found in southern countries, apart from herb gardens. The umbel flower grows up to 12cm tall and has up to eleven bracts with many flowers. However, the yellowish-to-greenish flowers are insignificant, and brown fruits develop in August/September.

In the kitchen

Lovage tastes spicy, with a typical smell, like celery and yeast. A few leaves are often enough to season a dish. Too much of it can uncomfortably dominate a dish. The leaves have the best aroma before flowering.

Lovage is ideal for hearty stews, soups, and vegetable one-pots. In contrast to many other herbs, the intensely fragrant leaves tolerate heat very well, so you can cook them. On the Ligurian coast in western Italy, it is still often found in the kitchen. There, it is used in tomato sauce and minestrone.

Combine with hearty herbs such as marjoram, onions, celery leaves, and garlic. The dried seeds and fruits can also be used as a seasoning to prepare stews. You can also season potatoes with it by adding a stalk of Lovage to the boiling water. That saves some salt.

When cooking, you can use the fresh leaves. Their sharp, slightly bitter, celery-like taste goes very well with soup, salad, chanterelles, and other mushroom dishes. You can use the finely chopped leaves to flavor soups, salads, and various stews.

Also, the dry seeds you can use in cooking. They go well with stews, but the seeds are also popular when baking bread.

Medicinal herb

Dried lovage fruits are also traditionally used for indigestion and flatulence. The whole or cut, dried rhizome, and the roots are suitable for flushing therapy for urinary tract infections and to prevent kidney stones.

The herb was already a popular remedy in ancient times, used, for example, for throat diseases and to treat wounds. It was considered digestive and stomach warming and was used to treat stomach colds and chest congestion.

In traditional folk medicine, Lovage is also used for menstrual disorders. The strengthening effects on the abdomen unfold best if you make a brew from it and use it as a bath additive. 

Homeopathy and anthroposophic medicine use Lovage for middle ear infections.

Recipes

Vegan Lovage Soup

This filling soup is delicious. It would be good served either hot or cold. 

PASTA WITH COURGETTES AND LOVAGE RECIPE

Perfect for cooking in summer when Lovage is in season, this pasta with courgettes and Lovage is a delicious seasonal dinner.

Lovage Garlic Vinaigrette Recipe

Bright and bold, this Lovage Garlic Vinaigrette recipe is perfect for drizzling on spring salads.

Vegan – chickpea casserole with spinach purée and lovage fritters

This is a powerhouse of a dish with lots of nutrients, beautiful in appearance, and very satisfying in terms of flavours and textures.

5-ingredient Vegan Pea Soup

This easy Vegan Pea Soup Recipe requires only 5 basic ingredients and makes a delicious and healthy soup in minutes.

Vegan Vegetable Soup Recipe

Vegan vegetable soup recipe that is healthy and hearty, loaded with flavor and nutrition. Featuring immunity-boosting root vegetables and fragrant herbs, easy to make and good for your bowl of goodness!

PESTO WITH FRESH LOVAGE. SO YUMMY! BLW

Pesto can save you so much time in the kitchen! It’s so easy to prepare it at home, and this vegan version with fresh Lovage is absolutely delish!

HEALTHY GERMAN VEGAN POTATO SOUP

What about a Healthy German Vegan Potato Soup – Saxon-style for dinner or lunch today? 

Apple-Lovage Chutney

How To Grow & Use Lovage: The Forgotten Herb That Everyone Should Grow

See also Recipes with Celery that are healthy and provide nutritional value.

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