ASPARAGUS, Mary Washington Geography/History: Asparagus has been used as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor, diuretic properties, and more. It is pictured as an offering on an Egyptian frieze dating to 3000 BC. Still in ancient times, it was known in Syria and in Spain. Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when […]
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Arugula, (Eruca sativa) Geography/History: Grown as an edible herb in the Mediterranean area since Roman times, salad rocket (Arugula) was mentioned by various classical authors as an aphrodisiac, most famously in a poem long ascribed to Virgil, Mortem, which contains the line:”the rocket excites the sexual desire of drowsy people”. Some writers assert that for
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Amaranth, Red Garnet Geography/History: In ancient Greece, the amaranth (also called chrysanthemum and helichrysum) was sacred to Ephesian Artemis. It was supposed to have special healing properties, and, as a symbol of immortality, was used to decorate images of the gods and tombs. In legend, Amarynthus was a hunter of Artemis and king of Euboea;
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Alfalfa Geography/History: Alfalfa, Medicago sativa, also called lucerne , is a perennial flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. The English name alfalfa is widely used, particularly in North America and Australia. But in the UK, [3] South Africa and New Zealand, the
