Fragrant verbena

Livré en sachet refermable  

- Sans OGM - Sans ionisation - Sans herbicides ni fongicides - Sans insecticides -

- Désherbage et récolte manuels - Fertilisation naturelle - Séchage à l'air libre -

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Pour info, produit très léger: 20g de feuilles de verveine non tassées ont un volume d'environ 1 litre.

Uses in Cooking

There is often confusion between fragrant verbena (or lemon verbena), which is offered here, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), and especially vervain (Verbena officinalis). This vervain, a wild plant from our regions, isn’t particularly appealing in taste but does have many benefits.

The leaves of the lemon verbena (or fragrant verbena) offered here are most commonly used in cold or hot herbal teas, either on their own or combined with other herbs like rosemary, mint, or enhanced with citrus fruits (bergamot or bitter orange peel). A digestive and calming evening tea can be made by mixing fragrant verbena, chamomile, mint, and orange blossom in equal parts. Steep about a teaspoon of this blend for 10 minutes in a bowl of boiling water.

But the delicate lemony flavor of these leaves also pairs well with fish (a few leaves added to the sauce or broth), marinades, poultry, stuffings, certain pastries, or desserts (a few leaves infused in hot milk, for example), refreshing ice creams, and even in certain vinegars (add the whole leaves to infuse).

Fragrant verbena is also commonly used, alone or with other herbs, in alcohols and liqueurs (as in our blend for vermouth).

Its lemony fragrance comes from the essential oil in its leaves, citral, widely used in perfumery and cosmetics as well as for scenting household products.

It is highly digestive, alleviating stomach discomfort, slightly sedative, soothing, calming, and promotes better sleep. It is recommended for treating depressive states, anxiety, and stress as it is also very energizing.

Who am I?

Origin: Morocco, Marrakech region

Scientific name: Aloysia citriodora Palau

Common names: lemon verbena, Peruvian verbena, three-leaved verbena, herb Louise, Indian verbena, Arab tea, and sometimes mistakenly just "lemongrass."

This lemon verbena, from the Verbenaceae family, is a deciduous plant that grows up to about 1 meter tall. Its woody stems and light green, highly fragrant, narrow lance-shaped leaves end in a point and grow in groups of three. Small, whitish, spike-like flowers, not particularly notable, appear in the summer but do not produce seeds, at least in our latitudes.

The plant originates from South America, mainly the Andes, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, and Bolivia, where it grows at altitudes between 2000 and 3000 meters. It has adapted well to the Mediterranean regions of southern France and Spain, including Morocco. In more northern regions, it is not hardy and needs to be brought indoors for winter.

A Little History

In Peru, verbena is used in the national soft drink, "Inca Kola," the country's best-selling beverage, far outpacing Coca or Pepsi! This highlights the pride locals have for this plant.

In 1767, Frenchman Philibert Commerson took a specimen from Buenos Aires during a journey with Bougainville. However, the plant had apparently already been discreetly imported to Madrid, Spain, by two professors who bequeathed it with its scientific name. One of its common names, "herb Louise," recalls Marie-Louise of Parma, wife of the owner of Madrid’s botanical garden, where these two professors planted it for the first time.