Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Rosmarinus
Species: R. officinalis
Binomial name: Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosemary) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which also includes many other herbs.
The name rosemary derives from the Latin name Rosmarinus, which is from "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea”— apparently because it is frequently, found growing near the sea.
The leaves are evergreen, 2–4 cm long and 2–5 mm broad, green above, and white below with dense short woolly hair.
The fresh and dried leaves are used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine; they have a bitter, astringent taste and are highly aromatic, which complements a wide variety of foods. Used as a herb when cooking lamb. When burned they give off a distinct mustard smell, as well as a smell similar to that of burning which can be used to flavour foods while barbecuing. Rosemary is extremely high in iron, calcium, and Vitamin B6.
Rosemary extract has been shown to improve the shelf life and heat stability of omega-3 rich oils, which are prone to going rancid.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
