Hyssop is a labiate herb and therefore closely related to thyme or sage. Like these two, it is also known as an herb for seasoning food. In addition, however, hyssop is also a medicinal plant with a wide range of uses.
Occurrence and cultivation of hyssop
Because of its medicinal properties and decorative appearance, hyssop is a popular garden and houseplant. Hyssop is also known by the vernacular names vinegarweed, Joseph’s wort, vervain, isump or vine aspen. Hyssop is a vigorous plant and loves sunny locations. Even on the windowsill hyssop can be cultivated without problems, from the once delicate plant becomes a bush within years, if the growth is not controlled. This is done by regularly cutting back the shoots, this procedure does not bother the medicinal herb and thus it does not die, because hyssop is considered insensitive and hardy. Just like its botanical relatives sage, thyme, rosemary and lavender, hyssop is a perennial labiate plant. The shoots of hyssop bush can grow up to half a meter high. Typical are its stems with the stemless, elongated small leaves in rosette form. The flowers of hyssop bush are of beautiful purple color and grow in so-called false spikes. Unlike its botanical relatives, hyssop is far less known in our country, yet it is one of the healthiest herbs around. Its original home is the Middle East, but the hyssop shrub is also native to Southern Europe growing wild. Because of its healing properties and decorative appearance, hyssop is a popular garden and houseplant.
Effect and application
The tradition of hyssop as a medicinal plant can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Prominent for its impressive flowering candles, hyssop was already part of every monastery garden at that time. It is said that the monks brought the medicinal herb home with them on their long treks across the Alps and then continued to cultivate it there. If hyssop has too little sun, it does not die at all, but it slows down its growth. As far as soil conditions are concerned, hyssop is undemanding, and even in the garden the medicinal herb does not necessarily need fertilizing. In the wild, hyssop is most likely to be found on stony ground in our latitudes. Hyssop found its way into cuisine and medicine through the monastic tradition of the Middle Ages. Although hyssop was once a well-known and appreciated spice and medicinal plant, it has been forgotten since the end of the Middle Ages. This is an incomprehensible development, because hyssop does not need to hide behind other medicinal herbs as far as healing powers, seasoning power and taste are concerned. The taste of hyssop is described as very spicy and pleasantly bitter, reminiscent of a potpourri of mint, sage and rosemary. The whole plant is edible and the best harvest time for fresh hyssop begins in spring. If you want to wait until the flower is harvested, you have to be patient until June. Meanwhile, hyssop is also cultivated on smaller acreages of the naturopathic pharmaceutical industry, which does not cause any problems due to its undemanding growth. As a culinary herb with a tart note, hyssop goes well with alcoholic cocktails, but also with legumes or meat. Gourmets love the typical spicy flavor especially in braised dishes such as goulash or roulades. In France hyssop must not be missing in any herb curd. There, the dried, mashed hyssop herb is also sprinkled over peach compote or apricot cake. As a tea preparation, hyssop can be drunk either individually or in combination with other seasoning and medicinal herbs as a preventive or therapeutic measure. Fresh or dried hyssop can be used to prepare a tea infusion. As with many other herbs, hyssop does not lose its valuable ingredients through the preservative process of drying.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
The cooled tea infusion can also be used as a gargle solution for sore throat or irritation of the oral mucosa. Hyssop has great health value due to its chemical composition with its high content of bitter substances and essential oils. Also known to the Romans is Hyssopites, a wine flavored with hyssop herb. Botanical-chemical analysis could detect in the whole plant so-called flavone glycosides such as hesperidin and diosmin, also tannins, choline, malic acid, large-molecular sugars, resin, and the dye hyssopin.For the extensive curative effect is probably responsible for the totality of these ingredients. Hyssop is suitable for therapy and prevention of a variety of ailments. According to empirical data, internal use is not only appetizing, digestive, anti-inflammatory, but also diuretic, antispasmodic, analgesic and blood purifying. To best benefit from its healing properties, it is recommended to use the completely non-toxic herb as a tea preparation over a longer period of time. Hyssop is considered to be extremely well tolerated and has few side effects if an overdose is avoided, which can lead to unpleasant abdominal cramps. The medicinal plant has also gained an excellent reputation against all kinds of cold complaints. Even more serious respiratory diseases, such as chronic bronchitis and asthma, can be effectively and long-lasting alleviated by hyssop. In addition to use as a tea or gargle solution, hyssop is also suitable as a bath additive for skin inflammations. The reason for the anti-inflammatory properties are probably fungi of the genus Penicillium, which grow on the leaves of the hyssop bush and have a broad antibiotic effect. Pregnant women, young children and babies should refrain from any kind of application with hyssop because of the risk of accidental overdose.
