All About Herbs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chives

Chives are part of the onion family, but their flavour is fairly mild. They are traditionally added to cream cheeses and soured cream and add a new dimension. Chives, like garlic and onion, are thought to have a beneficial effect on the blood pressure and heart. Chive oil has excellent anti-bacterial properties.

Answer: Rosemary

Wild Rosemary was used as a substitute for incense by the poor in Ancient Greece (hence its French name). This herb has many superstitions associated with it, including the ability to attract elves and being a preservative of youth when worn as a necklace! It is also said to ward off evil spirits and provide a good night's sleep if a sprig is placed under your pillow.

Answer: Basil

"Tulsi" is the Hindi name for Basil, and it means "Sacred Basil"; in Greece the word for Basil means Royal. The Thai variety of Basil adds a great flavour to Thai green curry paste and in Italy Basil is the main flavouring of pesto. It is also a fantastic addition to tomato sauces and dishes.

Answer: Mint

Some of the different varieties of mint are: chocolate mint (I would think this is delicious), Spearmint, Peppermint, and Catmint. Mint gets its cool refreshing properties from menthol, the oil found within the plant. Most of us are familiar with minty flavours from toothpastes and chewing gum, but it is also great with lamb and in drinks such as Peppermint Tea or Mint Juleps.

It is excellent in preparations for sunburn, and sucking a mint or sipping Creme De Menthe can help with excess gas or heartburn.

Answer: Thyme

An excellent herb to use in chicken dishes, it's great when added to roast potatoes. The oil from the herb has antiseptic properties and in ancient Egypt it was used as a preservative for mummies. In the past when Thyme was added to vinegar and applied directly to the head, it was said to be an excellent cure for headaches.

Answer: Coriander

Coriander is also known as cilantro. The leaves and stalks are used in Thai cooking, and are added to couscous in Morocco. It is also a great flavour to add raw to green salads. It was traditionally thought to be an aphrodisiac, and is still used in Egypt and India for its healing and restorative properties.

Answer: Common Sage

There are several varieties of Sage, all part of the Salvia genus. When taken as an infusion, or tea, the herb can help digestive disorders. It has also been used as a headache cure, and when the oil from the plant is added to boiling water and used as an inhalant it can clear blocked airways.

Answer: Chervil

Like many of the herbs here, Chervil was used in the past to cure many ailments. A poultice of chervil should be applied to aching joints, a drink made with chervil was thought to be a good cure for hiccups, and at one point it was even thought effective against the battle with the plague. Chervil is excellent in egg dishes and when added to vegetables.

It is also one of the French "Fines Herbes" - tarragon, parsley, chervil, and chives.

Answer: Marjoram

Marjoram is both an antiseptic and antioxidant. In the past it was used to treat conjunctivitis and asthma, but was not a great success. Marjoram is excellent when aded to soups and stews and is great in stuffings for roast meat.

Answer: Dill

Dill gets its name from the Norse word "Dilla", which means "to lull". The herb was so named because its seeds are thought to have a sedative effect when made into a tea, or infusion. In the past Dill was thought to make those who ate it intelligent, as it was thought to be ruled by the planet Mercury.

Answer: Clary Sage

Clary Sage had many medicinal uses in the past, including a purgative and a headache cure. It was also applied to swellings and was thought to lessen them. It is related to Common Sage and its botanical name is Salvia Sclarea.

Answer: Bay

There are many recipes for "Herbes De Provence", but it is basically Bay Leaves, Parsley, Sage, Thyme, and Rosemary. The Bay Leaves come from the Sweet Bay Tree and the best specimens of the tree are in Southern Europe. The oil from Bay leaves and berries has been used in the past as a cure for earache or to heal bruises. Tea made from bay leaves is thought to be calming and was also used in the past as a cure for stomach upsets.

Answer: Tarragon

There are two main types of Tarragon. The French has a strong flavour and the Russian is milder an much less aromatic. Tarragon is the correct flavouring for an authentic Tartare Sauce. Other names for this herb are "Little Dragon" and "Mugwort".

Answer: Chamomile

The Greeks called Chamomile "ground apple", because of the particular apple scent of the flower. Not only is chamomile beneficial to the health of humans, but it is thought to promote a healthy garden too. An ailing plant is thought to recover if a chamomile is placed by it. Benefits to humans are as a natural sedative, a cure for gout, and a cure for many digestive ailments.

Answer: Parsley

Parsley tea, made from an infusion of the leaves, or an extract of the root, is thought to be excellent for kidney complaints, and was used by soldiers in the trenches in WW1 as a natural remedy. Parsley was an ingredient of many "pick-me-up" tonics in the past, and is also a great treatment when applied to bites and stings.