Welcome to the Celtnet Herb Guide. As this site has grown and many more recipes have been added it's become evident that a guide to the various herbs available to the cook is necessary. With spices becoming more commonly available herbs have become the 'Cinderella' flavourings in the culinary world and more and more herbs are falling out of common usage. These pages are an attempt at bringing all the various culinary herbs together into one place so that you can see what's available and perhaps find something new to use in your own cooking. To use this Herb Guide simply click on the first letter of the herb name above or below. Alternativey why not just browse through the guide. All the herbs given here whether common or rare can be obtained via a specialist herb nursery.

This is the description page for Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the herb: Lavender.

Lavenders (Lavandula) are a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. They are native from the Mediterranean region south to tropical Africa and to the south east regions of India. The name is derived from Latin lavare 'to wash', referring to lavender's use in bath essences.

Lavender flowers have a strong, highly perfumed odour and a bitter overtone. The essential oil of the leaves (present at a level of 1 to 3%) is rich in linalyl acetate (30 to 55%) and linalool (20 to 35%). Other aromatic compounds include β-ocimene, cineol, camphor and caryo­phyllene epoxide as well as coumarin derivatives (coumarin, dihydro­coumarin, herniarin, umbelli­ferone), which are present at very low concentrations.

The most common cultivar is Lavandula angustifolia (formerly L officinalis) and it is this that's used as a herb. It must be admitted that lavender is not a common herb but it is characteristic of the cuisine of Provence in Southern France where it can be a component of Herbes de Provence along with chervil, tarragon, savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and sometimes fennel. This mixture is used for many dishes of the region, especially fish, but also meat and vegetables; a famous example is ratatouille, a flavourful vegetable stew made of courgette [zucchini] (or squash), tomatoes and aubergines.

Lavender should only be used sparingly as it is a very robust spice. Also note that lavender is a potent allergen and should not be consumed if pregnant or breast-feeding. Cookbooks suggest lavender for meat (mutton with its strong flavour is an obvious choice) and it can also be used as an ingredient in oil and vinegar based dressings and can be added as a flavouring for desserts in place of vanilla.

Lavender Chicken
Ras el hanout
Lavender and Honey Ice Cream
Herby Ice Milk