Curry Plant
The Mysterious Identity Of The Curry Plant
Would it surprise you to know that the curry plant is not in any way responsible for curry powder or curry spice? It is an herb, and it has been known to grace a recipe or two, but for the most part curry plant is used for medicinal values, fragrance additives, and ornamental purposes. The oil in the leaves is quite pungent, and direct contact with it while trimming or harvesting will render you tainted with curry plant scent for the remainder of the day. Depending on your personal tastes, this may or may not be a good thing, but perhaps you can decide once your plant is rooted and handled. Indian foods are commonly garnished and flavored with the leaves of the potent curry plant, but perhaps their most important contribution to humans are the healing and soothing powers rendered topically.
The curry plant is a member of the daisy family and is a flowering evergreen. Its most prominent feature is its dusty gray coloring which, when clustered over a greater area, can give the illusion of a light violet blue. Resembling lavender during the resting stage, this ornamental enjoys hot and dry climates such as those found in its native Turkey. When in bloom, the curry plant gains tall stalks which are adorned with scraggly yellow flowers. This gives the curry plant a very weed-like appearance, but can be quite fetching when accomplished in large numbers. Planting this evergreen to spread over an unsightly mound of earth, for instance, could be just the cure you need in the realms of color, depth, and aroma.
Used in a wide variety of natural and holistic salves, creams, and compounds, the oil of the curry plant offers soothing relief to irritations and burns. It has also been recently investigated as an aid to bruising and varicose veins, as the Indians have been administering this oil for these purposes for thousands of years. Finding commercial products which use curry oil as an ingredient can be a bit tough and quite pricey, but the herbal experts will encourage you to experiment with curry oil on your own. There are no known side effects or dangers associated with the application of the curry plant to either skin or food.
Having mentioned that the curry plant bares no relation to the mix of spices known as curry powder, there are a few popular recipes which include the leaves of the actual plant. One thin little leaf will go a long, long way when flavoring meats or sauces, so be sparing should you decide to try the curry plant out in your kitchen. One leaf can be added to ½ cup of mayo for a bit of a kick, and it is not uncommon for a sprig of curry to be place in the breast cavity of fowl while slow roasting.