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ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS COMES FROM THE LATIN ROS, MEANING DEW, AND MARINUS, MEANING SEA.
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Bundles were thrown into graves along with coffins and the bushes were reported to attract good fairy folk and protect babies from bad fairy folk. Rosemary, unusually, symbolises both love and death – it is the complete circle of life in one and reminds us that we can never have one without the other. A common theme that weaves its way through most of rosemary’s history is that of remembrance. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia directly says, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.” Culturally, we wear it on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day to help us remember the fallen and, poignantly for Australians, rosemary actually grows wild on the Gallipoli peninsula. In aromatherapy circles, the essential oil is touted as the ‘oil of students’, promoted for its ability to help our recall during exam time. Greek students are said to have worn crowns of rosemary on their heads while studying to improve their cognitive abilities. Recent clinical research has backed this up, with BBC News only months ago reporting that inhaling rosemary essential oil may indeed improve exam results. Another study showed that the use of this oil may improve cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer’s. I have always loved rosemary for its resilience, its purple blooms and its fragrance, but recently fell in love with it again as I began cooking Tuscan food after a trip to Italy last year. In fact, I began a whole ‘Tuscan garden’ on my verandah, with olive and citrus trees in pots, along with sage, thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, lavender and, of course, rosemary. I toss the rosemary into bone broths, casseroles, soups, roasting meats and slow-cooked dishes. We threw a Tuscan-inspired Easter dinner this year for family and friends, and posies and branches of rosemary served both as feast ingredients and as decorations.
The street fair is a must-do experience offering live music, locally-made art and craft, home wares, gourmet street food, delicious sweets, fresh produce, fashion and entertainment for children. See you there!
Since then, my passion has only increased. Search on Pinterest for rosemary and you’ll find inspiration for simple yet tasty creations, like rosemary and lemon sea salt, rosemary-infused olive oil, or rosemary and cucumber iced water. Feel like baking? How about rosemary and cranberry biscuits, or rosemary and zucchini bread? (I made the latter with my abundance of homegrown zucchini. It was so delicious that it was gone in less than 24 hours.) Or what about rosemary lemon cake with lemon curd filling and rosemary butter cream? So besotted have I become with the hard-working, honest and versatile rosemary plant that I have even chosen it as my new author logo. With its captivating fragrance, culinary delights, its hardy constitution and tolerance for a wide range of growing conditions (and for even the laziest gardeners), its beautiful gift of memory recall and its place in our country’s traditions of remembrance, rosemary offers us an endless bounty of botanical gifts to enjoy all year round. For more on Josephine Moon visit josephinemoon.com and to see more illustrations by Amy Oreo visit amyoreo.com
Bulcock St, Caloundra ` Caloundra Street Fair www.caloundrastreetfair.com.au