Dill Weed Gives The Dill Pickle Its Famous Taste

Dill Weed

The dill plant, with its light, feathery leaves and golden flowers, is a relative of parsley. It is alternately valued for its delicately flavored leaves (or "weeds", as they are called) during spring, and for its strongly aromatic seeds in fall.

The dill plant is native to the Mediterranean region and southern Russia. The name comes from an old Scandinavian word meaning 'to lull', referring to its soothing and calming properties as a medicinal herb. In Middle Age Europe, dill was attributed to have magical properties and used both by the magicians concocting potion brews and as a protective charm by those afraid of being "hexed".

Dill Weed in Cooking

Due to its light, delicate flavor dill really complements fish dishes. A famous Danish dish known as gravlax comprises of thin slices of raw salmon cured in a seasoning that contains dill. Dill also goes well with smoked salmon, cheese, egg dishes, sour cream and yoghurt. Sprigs of dill are an aesthetic garnish for soups. Dill seeds have a much stronger flavor and in combination with vinegar and spices make a great pickling agent. They are partnered with cucumbers to make dill pickles, popular in the United States.

Health Benefits of Dill Weed

And dills aren't bereft of health benefits either. Dill tea is used as a stomach soother, to overcome insomnia (sleeplessness) and even to cure hiccups. In its diluted form, it may be used as a remedy for gas in infants.

Growing Dill Weed

Dills can be planted as seeds straight away in your garden; you don't need to have a proverbial green thumb as they don't require much care - hence a perfect introduction to herb gardening!

References:
http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/gilbert/dill.htm
http://www.gardenguides.com/herbs/dill.htm
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/d/dill--13.html
http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/dill.html
http://www.recipeland.com/laurie/herbs/dill.epl
“The Herb Garden Cookbook: The Complete Gardening and Gourmet Guide” by Lucinda Hutson

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