Ingredients
Lemon balm and bergamot
Other Names: Lemon balm: Badranjbuye (Farsi); balm (British); balsamita maior or toronjil (Spanish); baume, citronell, herbe citron, or mélisse (French); citronmelisse (Danish, Dutch); citrounelo or pouncirado (Provençal French); erva-cidreira (Portuguese); hashisha al-namal (Arabic); herztrost or zitronenmelisse (German); limon nanesi, limon otu, or melisa otu (Turkish); matochina (Bulgarian); melissa (Greek); melissa limonnaya (Russian); seiy-yama-hakka (Japanese). Bergamot: Bee balm; bergamota (Spanish); bergamote or thé d’Oswego (French); bergamotto (Italian); blumenmelisse or goldmelisse (German); monard or munardah (Arabic); Oswego tea; taimatubana (Japanese).
General Description: Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herb in the mint family with pale green, deeply veined, downy leaves shaped like plump diamonds. Since classical times, lemon balm has been considered a cure for melancholy. It flavors herbal liqueurs such as Chartreuse and Bénédictine. While more common as a medicinal herb than in the kitchen, lemon balm’s fresh and pure lemon taste makes it a good substitute for fresh lemongrass. In central Europe, lemon balm is used as a flavoring for sweet drinks. It can be used in any dish flavored with lemon juice to accent the lemony flavor.
Bergamot (Monarda didyma), not to be confused with the unrelated bergamot orange, is related to lemon balm and is also in the mint family. Native to North America, its leaves taste like lemon and orange and have a stronger flavor than lemon balm. Its shaggy heads of edible scarlet, deep pink, or purple flowers are minty in aroma and flavor. One American name for bergamot, Oswego tea, came from the Oswego Indians, who brewed it into tea. American colonists drank this tea as a patriotic gesture because it was locally grown and not subject to the British tax on imported tea.
Purchase and Avoid: Lemon balm’s lemony aroma is more pronounced in fresh leaves than in dried. Although the decorative blossoms of bergamot have only a light fragrance, they are the preferred part of the plant. Use only brightly colored blossoms with no wilting or browned edges and full, green leaves.
Serving Suggestions: Use lemon balm to flavor fruit-based desserts and fruit salad. Use fresh or dried lemon balm leaves and flowers to make an aromatic tea. Add bergamot to soups, fish, and yogurt, or to fruit, vegetable, and green salads.
Food Affinities: Lemon balm: Apple, fish, fruit salad, poultry, salads, sweet drinks. Bergamot: Butter, eggs, fish, honey, ricotta cheese, sauces for fish or chicken, soups, yogurt.
from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com
