Chopped Rosemary from Crete

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How to cook with Cretan rosemary?

Use it to season meats, poultry, and fish by adding it to marinades or incorporating it into slow-cooked dishes. It also pairs well with roasted vegetables, potatoes, and sauces. When infused, it can be used to flavor oils and vinegars, or to enhance soups and broths.

Recipe ideas for cooking with Cretan rosemary

• - Rosemary focaccia: Make homemade focaccia dough, then generously sprinkle it with Cretan rosemary, sea salt, and olive oil before baking it in the oven;
• - Grilled lamb with rosemary: Marinate lamb chops with Cretan rosemary, chopped garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil for several hours. Grill them until the meat is golden on the outside and tender on the inside;
• - Roast chicken with rosemary: Rub a whole chicken with Cretan rosemary, crushed garlic, lemon zest, and olive oil. Let it marinate for a few hours to enhance the flavors, then slowly roast it in the oven;
• - Rosemary-infused olive oil: Gently heat olive oil with sprigs of Cretan rosemary. Let it infuse until cool, then strain the oil. Use it to drizzle over salads, roasted vegetables, or grilled meats.

The aromas of rosemary

Cretan rosemary offers an intense and resinous aroma, with slightly minty and floral notes. On the palate, it has a robust, slightly bitter flavor that intensifies when cooked.

Botanical notes on Cretan rosemary

Cretan rosemary, or Rosmarinus officinalis, is an aromatic plant typical of Mediterranean regions, growing abundantly on the sun-drenched, rocky hillsides of the island. This evergreen shrub has small, narrow, needle-shaped leaves, silver-green in color with a slightly fuzzy underside. Its pale blue to violet flowers attract pollinators, especially bees, which produce delicately scented honey. Adapted to dry, poor soils, Cretan rosemary is distinguished by its high concentration of essential oils, giving it a woody, camphor-like, and resinous fragrance.