Description

Dill (Anethum graveolens) is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. Dill has been found in the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep II, dating to around 1400 BC. During the Middle Ages, people used dill to defend against witchcraft and enchantments.In central and eastern Europe, Asia, Scandinavia, the Baltic states, Ukraine and Russia dill is a staple culinary herb along with chives and parsley. Like caraway, the fern-like leaves of dill are aromatic and are used to flavour many foods such as gravla and other fish dishes, borscht, and other soups, as well as pickles where the dill flower is sometimes used. Dill is best when used fresh, as it loses its flavor rapidly if dried. Other uses for dill include treatment of fever and colds, cough, bronchitis, hemorrhoids, infections, spasms, nerve pain, genital ulcers, menstrual cramps, and sleep disorders. Dill is used for digestion problems including loss of appetite, intestinal gas, gallbladder complaints, urinary tract disorders including kidney disease.