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Thyme is a commonly used herb in the kitchen; however, there are so many more uses for this tiny evergreen shrub. It has a rich history dating all the way back to ancient Egyptian times, when it was used for embalming and for a variety of health purposes. Now thyme is used not only in culinary dishes but as a powerful and useful essential oil.<\/p>\n
Thyme is a small perennial shrub. It grows up to 18 inches in height or 45 centimeters having a strong woody root system with a multi-branched stem. The leaves of the thyme shrub are greenish-grey in color and have small elliptical-like shaped leaves. The flowers are pink or purple in color.<\/p>\n
Thyme\u2019s botanical name is thymus vulgaris<\/i> and is a part of the mint family. Grown throughout the world thyme essential oil is produced mainly in Europe in France, Spain and Morocco. The thyme plant is native to the western Mediterranean, focusing mainly in southern Italian and southern European regions with light chalky soil.<\/p>\n
The word thyme comes from the Greek word thymos<\/i> which mean perfume. The thyme plant is very fragrant which makes sense for this naming. It may have also come from the Greek word thymon<\/i> which means courage because many of the traditional uses for thyme by the Greeks were associated with this quality. It is also known as \u201cmother thyme\u201d because of the many medicinal uses for women and female disorders.<\/p>\n
Thyme was used in ancient Egyptian times for embalming because of its high thymol content which helps to kill off bacteria and fungus.<\/p>\n
The Greeks and the Romans both have a rich history with thyme. For the Greeks thyme was a symbol of elegance and was used during or after bathing for it aromatic fragrance and medicinal powers. For Romans it symbolized vigor so soldiers bathed in to give them this quality and power or would exchange sprigs of it with each other as a symbol of respect.<\/p>\n
The Greeks and the Romans also used thyme to purify their homes and ceremonious places such as temples. This was done by burning thyme in the building needing purification. Thyme for these two cultures symbolized courage, bravery and strength.<\/p>\n
Starting in the Middle Ages thyme was used to help promote a restful night\u2019s sleep but also began to be used more and more in food and drink. It was added to beer to help those who drank it to overcome shyness.<\/p>\n
Once again the strength and courage of this herb was used in teas for soldiers helping to protect them in battle and give them strength and courage in battle. Judges and nobility carried around sprigs of thyme to protect them from disease and also used as a deodorant.<\/p>\n
Thyme was actually the very first herb to be listed in the book Holy Herb Charm<\/i>. This just goes to show how very important thyme was and still is today because of its many uses and health benefits.<\/p>\n
Poets and writers all over the world have been inspired by thyme. Writing about its powerful fragrance and how intoxicating it can be.<\/p>\n
Many herbalists and botanists have written about the many health benefits thyme possesses. From helping to cure whooping cough and vomiting to hangovers and headaches thyme has been used for thousands of years and will be used, probably, for a thousand more.<\/p>\n
Heck during World War II thyme was used to clean out wounds due to its high antiseptic properties. It was also widely used in hospitals and the like to clean and help speed up the recovery of sick patients.<\/p>\n