| Myths and legends concerning plants and their | | | | prepared for his guests: for desert: mallows, lettuce |
| development are no accident but result from the | | | | and leeks garnished with mint and rocket the |
| Greeks' deep knowledge of their natural resources. | | | | aphrodisiac. |
| The Greeks were mostly vegetarians with their daily | | | | Resourceful Apicius, renowned organiser of |
| diet consisting mainly of cereals, legumes, vegetables, | | | | gastronomic symbosia, had his meat dishes dressed |
| wild greens, roots, fruit and fish. For the Greeks the | | | | with herbal sauces. For example, for boiled tuna he |
| term vegetable was reserved for all greens while the | | | | used a sauce made from "...pepper, thyme, aromatic |
| term herbs was reserved for spices. This distinction is | | | | herbs, onion, dates, honey, vinegar, olive oil, mustard". |
| currently employed today in various parts of | | | | His sauce for game, boiled or broiled: "...8 gr pepper, |
| Macedonia and Epeirous. Our ancestors, as well as the | | | | dried mint, 3 gr bog-bean", and for fried courgettes: |
| ancient Romans, were able to distinguish over 1000 | | | | "...pepper, cumin, oregano, onion, wine, and olive oil. |
| plant species and, therefore, had compiled scores of | | | | Thicken the sauce in the pan with flour and then |
| detailed descriptions concerning their particular qualities, | | | | serve." |
| as well as their kitchen and medicinal applications. | | | | Scented Olive Oils used in Ceremonies at Knossos |
| Among the most prolific experts in botanical matters | | | | and Mycenae in antiquity ethereal oils and other |
| were Dioscurides, Theophrastus, Hippocrates, | | | | aromatic substances were used daily in lay and |
| Antiphanes, Galinus and Pliny. | | | | religious activities spanning from the meticulous care of |
| Theophrastus, who had set up a pilot farm in Athens, | | | | the body to treatment of ailments and devotional |
| provides handy instructions for cultivating and growing | | | | practices. On the basis of information deciphered in |
| fruit-bearing trees, e.g. fig trees, olive trees, almond | | | | Linear B tablets found in Knossos and Pylos, etherial |
| trees and pot plants! Even Homer, whose monumental | | | | oils were extracted by perfume experts in Minoan |
| work does not make detailed gastronomic references, | | | | Crete. The tablets testify that perfumery, |
| makes specific references to 36 plant and tree | | | | aromatherapy, cosmetics and pharmacology are |
| species in his Iliad and 44 in his Odyssey. Among those | | | | deeply rooted in history. |
| plants cited are the crocus, lentisk, leek, moss, wild | | | | Again, in the Linear B tables from Pylos we learn that |
| carrot, prickly bush, mallow and poppy. | | | | ancient perfume experts produced oils scented with |
| Equally significant are the gastronomic accounts | | | | sage and wild pomegranate seeds. The "House of the |
| bequeathed to us by Athenaeus (170-230 AD) in | | | | Sphinx" at Mycenae yielded seven tablets with |
| "Deipnosophists". In his work Athenaeus talks about the | | | | inscriptions of herbs. There we find the names of |
| emollient qualities of the mallow, the sub-acid taste of | | | | fennel, mint, coriander, celery, lentisk, and cumin. |
| the sorrel, the vegetable texture of the nettle, the | | | | Through centuries of trial and error activities primitive |
| aphrodisiac qualities of bulbs, while there are also | | | | man became aware of the medicinal qualities of plants |
| references to asparagus, fennel, caper, oregano, sage, | | | | and herbs. He identified herbs that could Booth a range |
| laurel, rosemary, fig tree, grapes and pomegranates. | | | | of pains and cure diseases or prevent others. A lot of |
| Households in ancient Athens maintained supplies of | | | | herbs/plants used for their medicinal qualities today, for |
| salt, oregano, vinegar, thyme, sesame, raisins, caper, | | | | example the sage, cedar tree, and the leaves of the |
| eggs, salted fish, cress, figs, olives, olive oil, etc. An | | | | olive tree, were known to the Egyptians and found |
| extract from comic poet "Alexi" says, "Place ground | | | | inscribed in papyrus scrolls. |
| oregano at the bottom of the dish and use molassses | | | | For centuries the medicinal applications of herbs/plants |
| for colour". | | | | were mainly confined to the treatment of wounds, |
| The Greeks made considerable use of herbs as | | | | since anything pathological was attributed to acts of |
| condiments for bread and stuffed pies ("Plakountes"). | | | | gods. This attitude and practice changed with |
| The most common herbs used in bread making were | | | | Hippocrates (460-370 BC), the famous Greek |
| the spearmint, oregano, thyme, dill, and nutmeg. | | | | physician and father of medicine from the isle of Kos. |
| According to Athenaeus, "roasted pasta with honey | | | | His works that survived through the centuries include |
| and olive oil are served over laurel leaves". | | | | references to 237 plant species classified on the basis |
| Ancient Artemidorous, the desciple of Aristotle, | | | | of their medicinal qualities. According to Hippocrates, |
| described a piquant dish which consisted of tender | | | | saffron is used for wound cleansing, mallow for |
| meat, animal intestines and blood spiced with vinegar, | | | | cataplasms, oregano to aid menstruation, pomegranate |
| roasted cheese, cumin, savoury, coriander, poppy | | | | for ailments of the liver, sage for uterus infections and |
| seeds, honey, raisins and sour pomegranate seeds. | | | | gastrointestinal diseases, Cretan dittany to aid labouring |
| The Hellenistic and Roman cuisines had a lot in | | | | women and on wounds, quince to alleviate pains of the |
| common with the ancient Greek cuisine and probably | | | | uterus, purslane as a laxative, and basil as an |
| evolved into the modern Italian cuisine. Roman | | | | antiemetic. |
| engraver Martialis left us with a list of meals that he | | | | |