It has been long cultivated in Europe and the leaves are used as a herb, the roots as a vegetable, and the seeds as a spice, especially in southern European cuisine. Its flavour and smell are reminiscent both ofcelery andparsley, only more intense and spicier than either. The seeds can be used in the same way asfennel seeds.
Lovage is an erect, herbaceous,perennial plant growing to 2.5 metres (8 ft) tall,[4] with a basal rosette ofleaves and stems with further leaves, the flowers being produced in umbels at the top of the stems. The stems and leaves are shinyglabrous green to yellow-green and smell somewhat similar to celery when crushed. The larger basal leaves are up to 70 centimetres (28 in) long, tripinnate, with broad triangular to rhomboidal, acutely pointed leaflets with a few marginal teeth; the stem leaves are smaller and less divided, with few leaflets.
The flowers are yellow to greenish-yellow, 2–3 mm (1⁄16–1⁄8 in) diameter, produced in globose umbels up to 10–15 cm (4–6 in) diameter; flowering is in late spring. The fruit is a dry two-partedschizocarp4–7 mm (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) long, mature in autumn.[4]
Carl Linnaeus used thebasionymLigusticum levisticum inSpecies Plantarum to refer to lovage.[5]Levisticum officinale was described later byW.D.J. Koch and published inNovorum Actorum Academiae Caesareae Leopoldinae-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum in 1824.[6]
A lovage plant in Germany beginning to bloom in June, 2.78 m (9 ft 1 in) tall
The name "lovage" is from "love-ache",ache being a medieval name forparsley; this is afolk-etymological modification of the older French namelevesche, from late Latinlevisticum, in turn thought to be a modification of the earlier Latinligusticum, 'ofLiguria' (northwest Italy), where the herb was grown extensively.[7] In modern botanical usage, both Latin forms are now used for different (but closely related) genera, withLevisticum for (culinary) lovage, andLigusticum for Scots lovage, a similar species from northern Europe, and for related species.[7]
The leaves can be used insalads, or to makesoup or season broths, and theroots can be eaten as avegetable or grated for use in salads. Its flavour and smell are reminiscent both ofcelery andparsley, only more intense and spicy than either. Theseeds can be used as a spice in the same way asfennel seeds.[9]
The plant has long been cultivated in Europe, the leaves being used as a herb, the roots as a vegetable, and the seeds as a spice, especially in southern Europe.[9]
InUkraine, lovage (inUkrainian любисток/liubystok) is considered anaphrodisiac. Traditionally, an infusion prepared from lovage leaves has been used by women for rinsing their hair, in order to attract men with the pleasant spicy smell of the plant. Nowadays,hair conditioners can be bought which contain lovage extract to strengthen the hair. Lovage leaves and roots are also used in salads and as a spice in Ukraine.
InRomania, the leaves are a preferred seasoning for the various local broths and are just as popular, in this respect, as parsley ordill.[12] Furthermore, the dried foliage and seeds are added to pickled cabbage and cucumbers both to aid in their preservation and to add flavour to them.[13]
In theUK, an alcoholic lovagecordial is traditionally added tobrandy as awinter drink and is or was popular inCornwall where it was originally added to slightly spoiled smuggled brandy to hide the taste of salt.[14]
The roots, which contain a heavy volatile oil, are used as a mildaquaretic.[15]
A recommendation to cultivate lovage on the agricultural properties ofCharlemagne appears in chapter 70 ofCapitulare de villis, a text written around 800 AD about the maintenance of royal estates.[a][16]
Media related toLevisticum officinale at Wikimedia Commons