Food Encyclopedia

lavender

Historically known as the "herb of love," lavender is a relative of mint. This aromatic plant has violet flowers and green or pale gray leaves, both of which lend a pleasantly bitter pungency to salad, rubs for poultry and fish and in spice blends, such as herbs de provence. The leaves may also be used to make herb tea or, more accurately, tisane. You can typically find culinary lavender in natural food stores and some produce markets.