Lovage «Amur» – a hardy perennial that grows easily in open and closed ground, preferring slightly shaded areas. The plant reaches a height of 1–2 m, and its leaves are large, long-petioled, green with a toothed edge. The plant is valued for its early spring greenery growth and for its persistent aroma reminiscent of celery.
Lovage leaves can be used fresh, dried, or frozen for later use. In cooking, they are excellent for seasoning salads, sauces, soups, as well as for making marinades, pickles, and even «Maggi» cubes. Due to their taste and smell, lovage adds an unique aroma to fish and meat dishes, especially shashlik.
In addition to culinary properties, the plant has useful therapeutic effects. Decoctions from leaves, stems, roots, and fruits are used as a sedative for neuralgias and heart diseases. Lovage has a diuretic and expectorant effect, and improves digestion.
To obtain early greenery, it is recommended to sow seeds in early April for seedlings after preliminary soaking in warm water for 1–2 days, and then transplanting into open ground in May with an interval of 50–60 cm. Greens are harvested in the first year – July-September, in the second – starting from May, while shoots are cut at a height of 7–9 cm from the ground. The plant is usually grown to a permanent place for 5–10 years, after which the roots are removed and cleaned.
Thus, lovage «Amur» is a universal aromatic herb suitable for both everyday kitchen use and folk healing practices.
