We grow savory (citron) in the garden. Medicinal plants, raw materials and preparations (Obukhov A.N.) Armenian herbs names

Hello, friends!

Village healers and healers have been making various medicinal infusions based on thyme for many centuries.

This fragrant plant has a pleasant taste and a lot of beneficial properties.

Proper preparation of recipes based on it will help prevent illness or quickly recover if an illness develops.

The easiest way to prepare tea is with thyme or Bogorodtska herb, which has long been considered one of the most effective medicinal plants for the treatment of colds.

From this article you will learn:

Tea with thyme - beneficial properties and recipes

Thyme or Thyme is a type of perennial subshrub from the Thyme genus of the Lamiaceae family. Common thyme grows wild in the northwestern part of the Mediterranean coast, Spain and the south of France. Wikipedia

Botanical description of thyme herb

Thyme is a semi-shrub plant whose height under comfortable growing conditions reaches 40 cm.

Thin, small oval leaves are placed on thin trunks.

Thyme is distinguished by the same small pink-violet flowers, which are collected in bunched inflorescences.

The fruit is tiny nuts that appear at the bottom of the calyx at the end of ripening.

In general, everything looks very beautiful when thyme blooms in the summer.

The grass is collected in Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, Transbaikalia, and Ukraine.

Composition of a medicinal plant

Thyme is no less known as thyme. This is a valuable essential oil plant, which is distinguished by its rich chemical composition.

These are minerals (zinc, potassium, copper, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins), bitterness, essential oils, acids, triterpenoids, terpenes, gum and pigments that determine the benefits of the plant for the human body.

Medicinal characteristics and uses of thyme

Various parts of the plant are used in cooking, perfumery, and the food industry. But the medicinal properties of thyme have long been considered the most valuable.

The medicinal plant is widely used not only for home treatment, but also in official medicine.

Its active components are included in some pharmacological agents with antitussive effects and can be prescribed for tuberculosis, bronchitis, whooping cough and asthma.

Lotions prepared with thyme infusion help eliminate swelling and pain.

Plant extracts help cope with neurotic disorders, chronic fatigue, depression, and neurasthenia.

Regular consumption of drinks based on it leads to tone and improves mood.

Adding thyme to meat or legume dishes eliminates digestive problems and makes fatty foods easier to digest.

Video about the beneficial properties of thyme

Contraindications and use for pregnant women

If the technology for preparing teas or infusions is broken, thyme can be harmful. However, even if all the rules for brewing herbs are followed, each person must take into account contraindications for use:

• renal and liver failure;
• peptic ulcer – occurring in an acute form;
• children's age - up to 3 years;
• endocrine disorders;
• It is better for pregnant women to refrain from taking it.

If you have any serious illness, it is recommended to consult a doctor before using herbal medicine.

This will eliminate possible risks.

Tea picking is always painstaking manual work. Tea leaves, black or herbal, are so fragile that any assembly machine can ruin the taste and aroma of the future brew. On International Tea Day, Sputnik Armenia will talk about the features of Armenian tea.

It is no secret to many that Armenia is a country that actively consumes coffee. However, today, almost every home smells not only of aromatic coffee, but also of real tea, consisting of natural mountain herbs.

Considering that Armenia is a mountainous country, most of the herbs growing on the slopes began to be used to make tea. Producers of Armenian tea even developed a pattern - “the higher the mountain, the purer and more aromatic the herb from which this ancient drink is prepared.”

It is known that tea comes from China, and that the origin of the drink is associated with the name of the second emperor of China, Shen Nung, who reigned around 2737 BC. Legend has it that the emperor accidentally dropped tea tree leaves into a vessel of boiling water. Since then, the drink has spread throughout the world and has become an integral part of both official ceremonies and get-togethers with friends.

Black tea is practically not grown in Armenia, but there are a great variety of drinks created on the basis of black tea and its combination with Armenian mountain herbs.

“Herbal teas are common in all regions of Armenia, but tea made from thyme, chamomile, pomegranate flower, rose hip, which stores large reserves of vitamin C, has come into widespread use,” Gevorg Abrahamyan, a producer of Armenian tea, tells Sputnik Armenia.

Regarding the pomegranate flower, Gevorg notes that this species has a very sharp, bitter, tart taste, but with the addition of various herbs, a pleasant fragrant and very delicate combination is obtained. The herbal tea company itself prepares tea from six types of herbs, both for quick use - in bags and in large leaves.

Our ancestors always knew that mountain herbs, in addition to taste, also have medicinal properties and used them not only for brewing tea, but also for preparing dishes. For example, a pomegranate flower can serve as a medicine for diabetes, because pomegranate seeds and flowers can lower blood sugar levels.

Crushed pomegranate and walnut flowers are used as cough medicine.

"My daughter got sick 7 years ago. All the cold symptoms went away, but a very strong cough remained. We spent three months visiting doctors, hospitals and tried everything: from ultraviolet treatment of the bronchi to injections and antibiotics. During the next coughing attack, I was upset and went out into the yard in tears. Our neighbor, having found out what was the matter, gave me a handful of nut flower and told me how to make tea from it. After a week-long course of tea therapy, my child recovered," a lover of herbal teas said in an interview with Sputnik Armenia Gemma Kocharyan.

But plants need to be used skillfully. Tea lovers will say that thyme ("urts" in Armenian) is contraindicated for people with hypotension, because it lowers blood pressure, while mint ("nana" in Armenian), on the contrary, raises it.

“It is very useful to drink herbal tea after eating a heavy meal,” notes the manager of the Tea Shop in Yerevan, Vahe Ispiryan, and adds that herbal tea in Armenia is more often ordered by tourists and elderly locals, while young people prefer fruit teas.

Even the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Armenia Suresh Babun admitted to Sputnik Armenia that since he moved to Armenia, he switched to drinking thyme and mint tea.

Today the range of Armenian tea is impressive. Grandmother Anush sells herbs at the entrance to one of the markets in the capital and says that she herself goes to seasonal “gatherings” in Dilijan, Byurakan and Sevan. Afterwards she washes and dries the herbs, so she vouches for the quality of her tea. Grandma shares another beneficial property of thyme - for headaches, a cup of tea will help relieve suffering.

There are many beneficial properties among other herbs, for example, mint is an excellent pain reliever, and oregano calms the nerves.

All tea lovers know that this aromatic and fragrant drink not only warms you up in cold weather, but also relaxes you, conducive to a warm and friendly conversation.

Good afternoon, dear readers! They say that the aveluk plant grows only in Armenia, but in fact it is distributed in all corners of the middle zone of the globe. It can be found everywhere, in natural areas of forest-steppes and steppes. This plant was known in ancient times and, thanks to its rich chemical composition, not only medicinal drugs were prepared from it, but also simply used as food.

They are still used to this day, but more in the Caucasus than in other regions. So in Armenia, the leaves of this plant are collected twice a year, dried and woven into braids. And dried aveluk braids are used to prepare dishes that strengthen the heart and blood vessels, and bring many other benefits to the body.

I won’t beat around the bush anymore. The plant, which in Armenia is called aveluk, is nothing more than the one I talked about in the previous article, follow the link and read about its healing properties, see what this plant looks like.

Today in the article: what is aveluk, its beneficial properties, what exactly is useful, how to cook aveluk in Armenian, some recipes.

Aveluk what is it, Armenian grass or horse sorrel

This plant has gained a certain niche in medicine; many different drugs are prepared from it to treat diseases. Moreover, all its organs, from roots to seeds, serve as raw materials. After all, the beneficial properties are concentrated in all parts of the plant, only the proportions are slightly different.

And given that people have been familiar with it since the 12th century, the plant was given different names, which stuck and live to this day. Few people in Armenia know this plant called horse sorrel, but everyone knows aveluk. Abel, translated into Russian, means broom and this name was given because the plant has a paniculate inflorescence.

What are the benefits of aveluk?

But wherever this amazing herb grows, and it is actually a herbaceous plant, and also a weed, it is rich in resins, tannins, vitamins and microelements, and essential oil. And preparations prepared from it have healing properties:

• antiscorbutic and bactericidal,
• wound healing and hemostatic,
• anthelmintic and astringent (by the way, the fixing and laxative effect depends only on the dosage).

Aveluk drugs are used to treat:

• colitis and gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder,
• anemia, heart disease,
• respiratory organs and sexually transmitted diseases,
• inflammation of the oral cavity and eye diseases,
• internal bleeding and skin diseases.

But with all its widespread use, we must not forget that you should not use the leaves of the plant every day, because of its contraindications.

Aveluk Armenian grass

Even in ancient times, sorrel leaves, including aveluk, began to appear on the tables of noble French nobles. Modern cooks have long improved ancient recipes, which are recognized by all nations. In Europe, for a long time this grass was considered unfit for food and was weeded like a weed. But now, people are happy to prepare for the winter.

Indeed, in winter, soups, salads, pancakes, fillings for pies and pies, appetizers, and omelettes are prepared from dried leaves. Because it tastes like lettuce leaves with a slight sourness.

Harvesting and drying

Young leaves are collected for drying, but only dried leaves are used for food. And all because fresh leaves have bitterness, and if you boil them, they will simply turn into jelly.

During drying, the leaves undergo a fermentation process, the bitterness goes away, and the leaves acquire a pleasant taste, filled with biologically active substances, which is what they value.

The leaves need to be plucked along with the cuttings to make it easier to weave braids. Sort through, wash, dry. Lay out in a thin layer on tables for drying. And then they braid the hair, weaving in additional leaves. The ends are fastened together and the resulting wreath is hung to dry.

Dry braids are carefully packed in paper bags or fabric bags so that the greens breathe and ripen, continuing the fermentation process. Greens can be stored for up to 3 years.

How to prepare dry herbs for cooking

Before using dry raw materials for cooking, you must:

• Place the braid in a bowl and pour boiling water over it for about 20 minutes so that the leaves soften and the remaining bitterness goes away.
• Drain the bitter brown water, squeeze out the raw materials and, if necessary, add boiling water again for the same amount of time.
• Squeeze out the raw materials and cut the braids into small slices, freeing the leaves from the coarse petioles.
• Now rinse them again with cold water, put on fire and boil for 15-20 minutes from the moment of boiling.

Aveluk recipes

Now, after cooling slightly, the aveluk is ready for preparing dishes; read the recipes for some of them below.

Basic recipe: aveluk with onions

The still warm avelk needs to be salted so that the leaves are soaked evenly, they need to be mixed. It is more convenient to do this with two forks. After stirring, add fried onions in vegetable oil, pouring hot oil over the leaves. Moreover, the Goopmans advise not to skimp on butter in this recipe.

Omelette

For omelet, use prepared boiled leaves. First, fry the chopped onion in a frying pan with oil. Add sorrel leaves here, warm them slightly without drying them out and pour in the beaten egg. The omelet is served hot.

Aveluk soup

How to cook aveluk in Armenian? In Armenian cuisine, warming soups are popular, which are prepared in the cold season by adding lentils or wheat grits to horse sorrel. They not only help keep you warm, but are also quite filling and saturate the body with healthy vitamins and minerals. And the taste of such soups is somewhat unusual, because sorrel adds a slight sourness to them.

Aveluk and Lentil Soup Recipe

How to cook. Pre-soak the lentils for several hours, and then boil them and the bulgur separately.

The dried aveluk is washed thoroughly with water and soaked for 50-60 minutes. After the water has drained from it, it is cut into pieces. Place the water in a saucepan on the stove, and while it is boiling, fry the onion in a frying pan until golden brown.

Place sorrel and boiled cereals into boiling water, add salt and reduce heat. Then don't forget the onions and spices. Boil the soup for 10 minutes and serve it hot. For 100 g of soup, the calorie content is 41 kcal.

Wheat soup

How to cook . Wash the dry sorrel and boil (10 minutes), after draining and cooling, cut into pieces. Cut the onion into cubes and fry in oil. In the water where the sorrel was boiled, add wheat grits and aveluk and cook until the grits are ready. Add some salt and chopped garlic. For 110 ml of soup, the calorie content is 32 kcal.

Aveluk salad with champignons

This salad can decorate any table, even a festive one. Nourishing, with an unusual taste

How to cook.

Salad dressing. Prepare onions and mushrooms, chop them finely. In a frying pan, first fry the onion in oil, then add the mushrooms and fry until tender. Add the dressing to the chopped leaves, add the nut and mix everything. Place in the refrigerator to cool. Before serving, add sour cream and sprinkle nuts on top. You can use fresh herbs. 100 g of salad - 223 kcal.

Aveluk salad with cilantro

How to cook . To prepare the salad, dried horse sorrel needs to be poured with boiling water several times for 15-20 minutes. After the third time, rinse it with cold water and boil at low boil for 20 minutes. After draining the water and cooling, cut the leaves into pieces. While it is still warm, add salt and stir.

Add chopped cilantro, chopped garlic, nuts, fried and cooled onions. Add mayonnaise, top with pomegranate seeds and nuts.

Here is such a unique aveluk, Armenian grass or horse sorrel leaves. Now you know how to prepare delicious dishes from wild sorrel. Take a closer look around in the summer, maybe you have this wonderful plant growing, full of its healing and beneficial properties that can be used to restore your health.

I wish you health and longevity!

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Edible wild plants of Armenia
According to various sources, from 282 to 325 species of edible plants grow on the territory of Armenia. The edibility of many plants is conditional, for example, arum (Arum orientale) and yew (Taxus baccata) are included in the list. For example, arum rhizomes can be used after they have been dried, then boiled several times, draining the water each time, and even after that it can only be added as an admixture to flour.

And in yew, only the soft pericarp is edible, which contains mucous substances and is slightly sweet in taste, and all other parts are poisonous. With good reason, these two above-mentioned plants could be classified as poisonous plants of Armenia :)) Thus, many plants from the list are included conditionally. I would like to present those plants that are most common in our country, and which I myself have tried. Some of them are used only raw, many for boiling and some for pickling. In parentheses I indicated which method of use I prefer.

Կոռոտիկ (Korotik) - Arctium lappa, A. - Burdock (peeled young stems, raw)
Ծնեբեկ (Tsnebek) - Asparagus officinalis, Asparagus verticillatus - Asparagus (for boiling, can also be raw)
Կաթնամերուկ (Katnameruk) - Campanula latifolia - Broad-leaved bellflower (raw)
Փնգա (Pnga) - Chaerophyllum aureum - Golden buten (raw, for boiling and pickling)
Շուշան, շուշանբանջար (Shushan) - Chaerophyllum bulbosum, Ch. caucasicum - Caucasian buthen, tuberous - Chervil (raw, for boiling and pickling)
Մանդակ (Mandak) - Astrodaucus orientalis (for boiling and pickling)
Շրեշտ (Shresht) - Eremurus spectabilis - Eremurus (for boiling)
Երնջակ, Փուշ (Ernjak, Push) - Eryngium billardieri, E. campestre - Eryngium (raw peeled stems)

Սիբեխ (Sibeh) - Falkaria vulgaris - Cutter (for boiling and pickling)
Փիրվազ (Pirvaz) - Ferulago setifolia - Ferulnik (for boiling and pickling, young stems can be eaten raw)
Քեղ (Keh) - Heracleum pastinacifolium, H. sosnowskyi, H. trachyloma - Hogweed - Cow-parsnip (only for pickling, poisonous in its raw form)
Բոխի (Bohi) - Hippomarathrum crispum, H. microcarpum - Horse fennel (for pickling)
Ճպռուկ (Chpruk) - Lathyrus pratensis (raw)
Կոճղես, մուճղես (Kochges) - Lathyrus tuberosus - Tuberous pea, Earthnut pea - (tubers, raw)
Խնջլոզ (Khndzloz) - Ornithogalum montanum - Ornithogalum montanum (for boiling)
pineapple (for boiling)
Խաժխաժ (Hazhkhazh) - Papaver orientale - Oriental poppy (unopened buds, raw)
Սինդրիկ (Cindrik) - Polygonatum sp. - Kupena (for pickling)
Դանդուռ (Dandur) - Portulaca oleracea - Purslane (for boiling)
Սինձ (Sindz) - Salsify - Tragopogon graminifolius, T. major, T. pratensis, T. reticulatus (raw, after repeated rubbing in the palms)
Եղինջ (Eginj) - Nettle - Urtica dioica, U. urens (raw, for boiling)
Գառան դմակ, Թզարմատ փնջաձև, Գորտնուկ (Garan dmak) - Tufted chistiak - Falcaria fascicularis (for boiling)
Ավելուկ (Aveluk) - Rumex crispus - Curly sorrel (for lentil soup)
Թթվաշ, Թրթնջուկ (Ttvash) - Rumex acetosa - Common sorrel (raw, peeled stems)
Կարշմ (Karshm) - presumably Anthiriscus nemorasa?, or Laser sp. ?, used for pickling, taste bitter
Prangos ferulacea - used for pickling, unusual bitter taste

I won't include it here I tried mallow, which I haven’t tried, although it was offered many times, plantain, the leaves of which are used for tolma (I tried it only once, but didn’t like it much), and some kind of choban plant, which I’m afraid to try

Emoticon "smile"

The Armenian Highlands is a mountainous region in the north of Western Asia, which received its name due to the fact that it was within these geographical boundaries that the historical formation of the Armenian people took place. The Armenian Highlands ranks among the first in the world in terms of the number of plant species per unit area - over 100 species per 1 sq. km. ; in total there are approximately 4 thousand species of plants, most of which have various valuable properties: medicinal, food, dyeing, tanning, technical; moreover, 200 species of Armenian flora are endemic, that is, found exclusively in this territory and nowhere else.

This wonderful diversity has a completely prosaic reason: the fact is that the Armenian Highlands is located at the junction of two biogeographic zones. On the one hand, there are representatives of the xerophilic (dry-loving) flora of the Iranian Highlands, and on the other, relatively moisture-loving Caucasian species. In addition, the complex topography is of great importance, thanks to which many types and subtypes of soils are represented here, with the types of vegetation inherent in each of them.
The healing properties of medicinal plants of the Armenian Highlands have been known since ancient times, as evidenced by numerous. Plants of the Armenian Highlands formed the basis of traditional Armenian medicine, they were exported to many countries of the East and West, and were included in the most ancient pharmacopoeias - collections of official documents establishing quality standards for medicinal raw materials; The ancient historians Herodotus, Strabo, Xenophon, and Tacitus mention them in their works. And, of course, speaking about the history of the use and systematization of medicinal plants, it is impossible not to mention the work of the outstanding medieval Armenian naturalist and physician Amirdovlat Amasiatsi.

Although the scientist himself, of course, was not familiar with the term “encyclopedia,” introduced into use only in the 18th century by French enlighteners, it is nevertheless impossible to regard his scientific heritage as anything other than a medieval medical encyclopedia. The scientist’s most famous work, “Unnecessary for the Ignorant” (“ӡնպետ”), which is sometimes called the “Dictionary of Medicinal Substances,” is a pharmacognostic dictionary and contains extensive information about medicines, including plants of the Armenian Highlands. The healing properties of these plants make them indispensable natural remedies in modern medicine and cosmetology. Here are some examples:

Wormwood in medicine it is used as a means of stimulating appetite and improving digestion; used for stomach ulcers and ulcerative colitis, gastritis, anemia, migraine, hypertension, heartburn, and is used as an effective anthelmintic. Wormwood essential oil stimulates blood circulation and facilitates breathing, has a positive effect on metabolic processes in the myocardium. In cosmetology, wormwood essential oil is used as part of a cream for oily and problematic facial skin; it is used not only for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, but also as part of anti-aging products for the care of mature skin of the face and body. The unique substances contained in wormwood oil help regulate metabolism in the skin, quickly remove toxins and stimulate skin renewal. After using products containing wormwood oil, the skin becomes elastic and tightened, its appearance and color improves.

Marjoram due to its pronounced antiseptic properties, it is used for cleansing and healing wounds, as well as in the treatment of colds; it perfectly relieves inflammation and sore throat, facilitates breathing, and has a positive effect on the condition of patients suffering from diseases of the kidneys and liver, gall bladder and genitourinary system. Marjoram is rich in tannins and valuable essential oil, which has a refreshing bittersweet aroma; the shoots and leaves of this plant contain ascorbic acid and carotene. In cosmetology, marjoram essential oil is added to products to soften rough skin, it is a good wound healing agent, helps to quickly get rid of bruises, remove warts, calluses; it can be added to foot and hand creams. As a facial skin care product, it can be used to cleanse and tighten enlarged skin pores.

St. John's wort contains a variety of biologically active compounds - tannins, resins, dyes, carotene - and has numerous healing properties. It is used as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, restorative, antiviral, astringent, tone-increasing and fatigue-reducing agent; The effectiveness of St. John's wort in the treatment of depression has been proven in numerous clinical trials. As part of masks, decoctions and tinctures it is used for inflammation of sensitive skin, acne and other skin problems; perfectly cleanses the skin, reduces oiliness and tightens pores, is able to tone and tighten sluggish mature and tired skin. St. John's wort is very beneficial for hair, especially if it is prone to oiliness or, on the contrary, to excessive dryness: it strengthens weak hair, preventing hair loss, relieves dandruff, and soothes irritated scalp. Two species of this plant - St. John's wort (Hypericum formosissimum) and St. John's wort (Hypericum eleonorae) are endemic to Armenia.

Elder has long been considered a mysterious sacred tree, the berries of which allegedly contributed to prolongation of life. The properties of elderberry are surprisingly multifaceted, and all parts of the plant have beneficial and healing properties: flowers, bark, leaves, fruits. Fresh elderberries are successfully used to treat neuralgia, hepatitis, peptic ulcers, as well as their prevention; dried fruits are used to treat malaria. Flowers containing essential oils, valeric, caffeic and malic acids are considered no less valuable. Decoctions and infusions of elderberry flowers have antibacterial and diaphoretic properties and are especially effective for colds, sore throat, flu, and respiratory diseases. Elderberry leaves, like flowers, have antipyretic, diuretic, astringent, sedative and diaphoretic effects. Applying steamed leaves relieves inflammation well; they are used for diaper rash, burns, inflammation of hemorrhoids, and furunculosis; young leaves have some laxative and restorative effects. A decoction is prepared from the bark, which is taken for skin and kidney diseases, and is used for baths for gout, rheumatism and arthritis. In cosmetology, elderberry flowers are used to whiten freckles and age spots, and fresh berries and leaves are used to prepare masks of various compositions for all skin types, after which the skin becomes clean, beautiful and well-groomed. One of the species of this plant - Tigran Elderberry (Sambucus tigranii) - is endemic to Armenia.

Hawthorn has a number of well-known beneficial properties that are actively used in medicine and cosmetology. The fruits of this plant contain a large amount of pectin and tannins, as well as trace elements: copper, zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, cobalt, molybdenum. In addition, hawthorn contains vitamins C, P, carotene, thiamine, choline, and riboflavin. One of the most common traditional medicines made from this plant is hawthorn extract, which has cardiotonic, antiarrhythmic, hypotensive, antispasmodic, antiatherosclerotic and antioxidant effects. Hawthorn extract reduces fluctuations in arterial walls, reducing pulse rate, improves coronary and cerebral circulation by dilating blood vessels, increases the sensitivity of the myocardium to the action of cardiac glycosides, and reduces the excitability of the heart muscle. The use of hawthorn in extract form improves the elasticity of capillaries and reduces cholesterol in the blood; it is also used as a weak diuretic and sedative. In addition, hawthorn has a positive effect on liver function, has a choleretic effect, cures allergies, reduces blood sugar and cholesterol levels, activates metabolism, normalizes the activity of the thyroid gland, treats atherosclerosis, relieves swelling and is excellent for rheumatism. In cosmetology, hawthorn is known as an effective natural phytoncide, that is, it inhibits the growth and development of bacteria and microscopic fungi. Hawthorn stimulates and cools the skin, has a calming effect on it, its fruits are used to accelerate skin metabolic processes and improve blood flow to cells; hawthorn extract restores the dermis after exposure to the sun, has a moisturizing, softening and soothing effect on the skin. Of the more than 50 known species of this plant, two species - Crataegus zangezura and Armenian hawthorn (Crataegus armena) - are endemic to Armenia.