Lavender’s Enduring Popularity
Known and valued since ancient times, lavender has recently gained popularity as a profitable cash crop. This herb is from the same family as other well-known aromatics, such as mint and sage. Lavender originates from the Mediterranean but is now grown on nearly every continent.
Lavender has been used for a wide variety of purposes throughout history. Today, we can find it as a culinary herb, although more frequently as an ingredient in cosmetics and medicine. Lavender is often used to make essential oils and is also an ornamental landscaping plant.
Mosquitos, ticks, fleas, and flies are all repelled by strong scents. Lavender's aromatic nature means that it’s an excellent choice to naturally ward off pests. Lavender is not only an attractive addition to any landscaping project, but it may also assist in enjoying the outdoors without being bothered by irritating pests.
Today, lavender is incredibly popular when it comes to personal hygiene products. Lots of shampoos, conditioners, body washes, facial cleansers, hand soaps, lotions, and other products all frequently use lavender as a primary scent. Lavender is also often used in cleaning products for our homes and is an incredibly popular essential oil.
Today you can also find lavender in a variety of foods and drinks. Lavender lattes, lavender lemonades, and lavender sweets are all becoming more common staples, popular for their uniqueness and floral sweetness.
History & Meaning
Lavender has been in use for over 2,500 years: it was used in ancient Egypt for perfuming the corpse during mummification, and as a primary ingredient for incense. It’s said to be mentioned more than a hundred times in the Bible, as nard, but since another aromatic herb called spikenard was in use at the time, there is some disagreement on whether lavender is actually what is being referenced.
Ancient Greeks used lavender to treat headaches, indigestion, sore throats, and even a variety of skin conditions.
Lavender was highly valued in ancient Rome where it was used to scent bathhouses and to deter insects. Roman armies valued its medicinal and antiseptic properties and used it to dress battle wounds and ward off infections. Lavender’s popularity was undiminished in Medieval Europe, where it was used as an aphrodisiac, among other things.
In 16th century Europe, it was commonly thought that bad smells caused the Black Plague, and lavender oil or dried lavender sprigs were popular deterrents. In fact, some historical accounts claim that the herb saved both lavender field workers and tanners of the time from succumbing to infection. Since the plague was spread by flea bites, the strong aroma helped repel the offending fleas and other pests, likely saving their users from contracting the disease. Today, lavender oils are still used to help ward off fleas and ticks from dogs and other furry creatures.
Throughout history, lavender has been used to represent purity, serenity, calmness, and devotion. This is evident as you examine the ways that lavender has been used. Lavender continues to this day to be a popular sleep aid, as well as an aid to ease anxiety. Lavender has long been associated with cleanliness thanks to its connections to purity. The purple flowers of a lavender plant lend themselves to thoughts of royalty, elegance, and luxury. Lavender supposedly symbolizes devotion and can often be found in wedding bouquets.
Health Benefits
Many of the purported health benefits of lavender have been confirmed by modern medicine, while some are still being investigated to this day. Research has shown that lavender oils can be helpful in treating anxiety, insomnia, gastrointestinal discomfort, skin irritation, and high blood pressure.
Linalool is the active chemical component found in lavender and is one of the primary sources of fragrance in lavender extracts. Linalool could possibly provide an alternative to current anti-anxiety medication, such as benzodiazepines. Studies have shown that the relaxing effect of lavender is primarily accomplished through scent, therefore linalool could possibly be used medically to treat anxiety. An article in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience showed how linalool specifically must be smelt by the participant, rather than absorbed into the lungs, in order to have the desired relaxing effect.
Lavender is particularly useful when dealing with sleep disruption or disorders. In history, people stuffed their pillows with lavender flowers to help them fall asleep and achieve better rest. Today’s research suggests that smelling lavender could increase relaxation, and perhaps lead to improved sleep quality. This may be particularly helpful to people suffering from insomnia.
These same soothing effects can also be used to help reduce anxiety and stress, and therefore assist in soothing headaches or migraines. Research by the National Cancer Institute shows how aromatherapy can help people with cancer in managing the side effects of their treatment, such as chemotherapy. Lavender may also help reduce anxiety associated with the cancer treatments themselves.
Historically, lavender was also used as a remedy for burns or other kinds of skin irritation. This includes dermatitis, eczema, itching, psoriasis, and other rashes. This may be due to the anti-inflammatory compounds within lavender: linalool and linalyl acetate.
Awesome Additions
Lavender is highly valued across many different markets thanks to its pleasant aroma and associations with cleanliness and luxury. Lavender can be dried and used directly for flower arrangements, wands, sachets, or potpourri. These dried flowers can also be manufactured in valuable products like essential oils, tinctures, soaps, or lotions. Lavender is also a popular ingredient in baking and can be used to make a tasty honey.
Culinary Uses
There are so many delicious ways that lavender can be included in the kitchen. Recent years have seen an increase in lavender flavored drinks, pastries, chocolate, cocktails, and more. Lavender mochas, freshly squeezed lavender lemonade, or lavender shortbread cookies are all excellent examples of these. Lavender sugar, simple syrup, or oil is used to add a floral flavor and rich fragrance. While you’ll most often find lavender in sweet dishes, savory meals can be greatly enhanced by the addition of lavender as well. The sweet, floral essence of lavender can be used as a complement to peppery or herb-filled dishes, highlighting their flavor and adding a sweet undertone.
‘Culinary lavender,’ refers to both the type and cultivar of lavender that’s used in cooking, as well as the way it’s processed. When cooking with lavender, we use the flower bud itself.
Some popular culinary lavender cultivars include:
L. angustifolia ‘Folgate’
L. angustifolia ‘Melissa’
L. angustifolia ‘Croxton’s Wild’
L. angustifolia ‘Wykoff’
L. angustifolia ‘Miss Katherine’
L. angustifolia ‘Royal Velvet’
L. angustifolia ‘Buena Vista’
The cultivar selection will depend on the desired taste and flavor notes for its intended use. ‘Melissa’ is more peppery than the others and is often found in savory dishes. ‘Miss Katherine’ is sweeter, and has a more floral base, making it ideal for pastries and other sweet dishes. Keep your desired creations in mind when researching which cultivar may be best for you. All kinds of lavender are edible, but some types may make a dish bitter, rather than delicious. Too much lavender, or the wrong kind, may make a dish taste like soap. Don’t be afraid of trial and error while finding the right kind and amount of lavender for you!
