Flowers redux — Urth Net

Alice Turner21 Jul 1999, 23:29original as archived

Flowers redux

Oh, one thing more. Why, you may ask, am I trying to make something Shakespearean out of what might be an ordinary kitchen herb garden. Well, the clue is rue. Rue simply isn't grown as an herb any more. It's a very bitter herb that I think may still be used to flavor a rather nasty Italian aperitif (could that be Byrrh?). But it was used as a purgative and a plague deterent in Shakespeare's time. And also in witchcraft, possibly as an abortifacent, I think. -alga

Matthew Malthouse22 Jul 1999, 10:38original as archived

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Alice Turner wrote: Oh, one thing more. Why, you may ask, am I trying to make something Shakespearean out of what might be an ordinary kitchen herb garden. Well, the clue is rue. Rue simply isn't grown as an herb any more. It's a very bitter herb that I think may still be used to flavor a rather nasty Italian aperitif (could that be Byrrh?). But it was used as a purgative and a plague deterent in Shakespeare's time. And also in witchcraft, possibly as an abortifacent, I think.

Aha! You may not grow rue in your herb garden but some people still do, myself included. I believe that it has a use in aromatherapy an herbal medicine. About the only use I make of it is in pork sausages where it cuts the sweet, fat flavours with its bitter taste. Oh, and it's pretty. :) Matthew