This time, we’ll share about a Western herb: lemon verbena, frequently found in body and hand care products. How exactly can this herb be used in cooking?

Lemon verbena (scientific name Aloysia citrodora) originated in South America and was brought to Europe by the Spanish and Portuguese in the 17th century. Although it’s called verbena, it’s not an herbaceous plant but a shrub that can grow up to 3 meters tall with long, narrow leaves.

Because it contains citral, it has a lemony aroma and produces small purple or white flowers in late spring or early summer. Besides its use in cooking, lemon verbena is also frequently used to make essential oils, especially popular in France.

Cultivation Methods for Lemon Verbena

Lemon verbena can be propagated directly from seeds or through cuttings. It loves sunlight, so if you keep it indoors, remember to place it near a window to get plenty of sunshine, and water it only when the soil is dry to avoid root rot from overwatering.

It’s recommended to use a well-draining medium, such as tree fern fiber or perlite. Lemon verbena is sensitive to cold, so it’s best to keep it indoors during winter. Generally, its leaves will fall off when temperatures drop below zero degrees Celsius, and it won’t grow new green leaves until spring.

Cooking Applications of Lemon Verbena

Experts recommend using fresh lemon verbena for cooking for better flavor, but dried lemon verbena can be used for tea. Dried lemon verbena retains its flavor even after being stored for a while.

Therefore, another creative use for dried lemon verbena is to chop it up and mix it with salt or sugar to make lemon-flavored spice salt or spice sugar.

Europeans love adding lemon verbena to fruity drinks, jellies, puddings, jams, and various desserts, especially it seems to pair perfectly with vanilla ice cream.

Besides desserts, lemon verbena is also frequently used to make salad dressings, marinades, stuffings, and bread. This herb has a refreshing lemon flavor, making it ideal for pairing with fish, especially in fish soups. Other suitable ingredients for lemon verbena include seafood, meats, and vegetables.