A Lot To Love About Lovage

Lovage has an intriguing name and a long history. Its’s a multi-purpose plant valuable for its leaves, seeds and roots.

Native to many parts of Europe, particularly the Mediterranean, and Asia, lovage is sometimes known in the USA as “mountain celery”. Low in calories, high in vitamin C, lovage has been used for centuries all over Europe to flavor soups and stews.

The leaves, that taste like a sweet version of celery, combined with hints of parsley and anise, are often chopped and added to salads, while seeds are used when leaves are not available. Lovage roots, that have been used for medicinal purposes, may also be eaten.

As a perennial plant, lovage will emerge early in the year, and under the right conditions grow to 5’ tall and 3’ wide.

COOKING: use lovage in place of parsley and chop the leaves to add to a potato or chicken salad. Lovage will enhance a bowl of salad greens and add a distinctive taste to a bowl of tomato salsa.