History of celery leaf

The modern type of celery was developed from wild celery, which is believed to have originated in marshy areas around the Mediterranean. Its seeds were once widely used as a medicine, particularly as a diuretic. 

Leaf celery has been cultivated for many years in Western Europe for flavoring purposes and as a leaf garnish.

Leaf celery was a herb known to the ancient Romans. Writers of the day often mentioned both a wild and a cultivated sort.

It appears that the leaves of wild celery were first used as a medicine because the earliest mention of the plant in ancient literature is in Homer’s Odyssey, within in the 9th century BC.

Later, just before the Christian Era celery leaves were used by the Greeks as laurels for their athletes and in funeral wreaths.

Cultivated celery as recorded in 1623 in France, where plants with a milder taste were selected from wild plants for use as a vegetable.

Leaf celery is still used today in many parts of Western Europe, Israel and Asia. Celery was brought to the United States early in the 9th century.
History of celery leaf

Basil in ancient culture

Basil is one of the most popular and widely grown herbs in the world. It is often associated with Italian cuisine. Italians call it the ‘love herb’ for its spicy aroma and refreshing fragrance.

Basil was used in many ancient cultures more than five thousand years ago. It was grown in the Middle East, India and the Mediterranean region.

The ancient Greeks avoided basil, stating that it ‘exists only to drive men insane’ and ‘she goat that browses on everything avoids basil along’. The name ‘basil’ is derived from the Greek work basilikon, meaning ‘royal’, a world indicative of the ancient culture’s high respect for this herb.

In India, basil played a big role in religious ceremonies and social life. It was also a cherished sign of hospitality and it was considered sacred to Vishnu and his incarnation as Krishna.

In Italy suitors sometimes wear a leaf of basil in their hair to show their marital intentions.

The basil was utilized as a botanical for embalming bodies in ancient Egypt. While in China, the medicinal use of basil can be traced back more than 3,000 years.
Basil in ancient culture

Herbs during ancient Egypt

Egyptian papyri recording the medical uses of herbs, dating from 2800 BC. Papyrus is a kind of paper made from reeds. Some of the scrolls were more than 6 feet long.

The Egyptians in the days of Pharaohs had developed great skill in the use of herbs.

The oldest surviving medical text Ebers Papyrus mention marjoram, mint, juniper and other familiar herbs, together with aromatic gums such as frankincense, spices such as cinnamon and cassia.

One of the first world physician name Imhotep made medicine from plants and use these remedies to treat people suffering from appendicitis, arthritis and other ailments.

By the time the Ebers papyrus was recorded, Imhotep was worshipped as a hero, as a blameless physician and later still as the god of medicine.

In Egypt the dividing line between medicinal and cosmetic recipes was often blurred. The priests, controlled the manufacture of the substances were also in charge of the offerings of incense and fragrant oil in the temples.

They also in charge the precious ointments that were used for embalming the bodies of high ranking Egyptians. Egyptian medicine was exclusively disease centered rather than person centered.
Herbs during ancient Egypt

Marshmallow as ancient medical herbs

The historic roots of marshmallows are literally the roots of a plant: the marsh mallow, Althaea officinalis.

It is soothing, healing herb and it is frequently used in medicine, a decoction of the root having been prescribed for asthma, bronchitis, hoarseness and to relieve inflammations and gastritis.

Botanical name, Althaea is derived from the Greek, althe which means ‘to cure’. The plant consecutively impressed ancient Greeks and Arabs. It then made its way into Indian Ayurvedic tradition.

It was ancient Egyptians who are the first documented consumers of marshmallow. 4000 years ago, the Egyptian enjoyed a treat made from the mallow plant which oddly enough grew in the marshes of Egypt.

It was not native to Egypt but was introduced from Syria.

Egyptians doctors used honey and the sap of the marshmallow plant in medicines, especially in remedies such as medicinal wines used to treat sore throat.

Marshmallow candy us among the world’s oldest candy and dates back to 2000 BC. Ancient Egyptians could have been the first to invent marshmallow candy, since they united the slimy root with honey.

It was used in Persian to reduce inflammation in teething babies. The emperor Charlernagne (742-814 AD) appreciated marshmallow and order it to be cultivated.

The word mallow can refer to any a variety of plants of the genus Malva. Mallow comes from Old English mealwe, possibly influenced in its development by Old French malve. Both English and Old French words ultimately descend from Latin malva, mallow.

Marshmallow as ancient medical herbs

Early Herbs

Of the first known herbal, said to have been written by the legendary Chinese emperor. Shen Nung, nearly 5000 years ago, only part of the text survived long enough to be recorded by subsequent writers though many later Chinese herbals base upon on it.

Shen Nung, was the father of agriculture and herbal medicine. He was given credit for authorship of the first native herbal, the Sheng Nung Pen Ts’ao on the basis of his own experiment.

During Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), physician Tuo Hua collected various herbal formulas for beauty, including powders, ointments and pastes.

Sumerian clay tablets gave us a literature in the form of small clay tablets. Dated from the late fourth millennium BC, they are the earliest known written records about plants in Western civilization.

Other herbal text from early times include Egyptian papyri recording the medicinal uses of herbs, dating from 2800 BC.

The latter mention about marjoram, mint, juniper and other familiar herbs, together with aromatic gums such as frankincense, spices such as cinnamon and cassia and unguents and ointments made by expressing the oil from herbs or by macerating them in fatty oils such as castor oil.

The Egyptians imported herbs and spices along with the knowledge of their use from Babylon and India.

In Egypt the dividing line between medicinal and cosmetic recipes was often blurred and the priests, who generally controlled the manufacture of the substances, were also in-charge of offering of incense and fragrant oils in the temples and the precious ointments that were used for embalming the bodies of the high ranking Egyptians.

Father of modern medicine Hippocrates listed hundred of herbal varieties all taken together to prove and establish the significance , importance and usage of herbs as a means to cure various disease.

In about 500 BC, Herodotus listed about 700 herbs and their uses, many of which remain valid today. In the first century AD, Dioscorides produced a herbal guide, which is still reference on the practice of natural medicines.
Early Herbs