Scots Lovage (Ligusticum scoticum), showing the whole plant withclose-ups of the edible stems as well as the maturing seed head
and the edible seeds.
| Common Name: Scots Lovage |
| Scientific Name: Ligusticum scoticum |
| Other Names: Sea Parsley, Scottish Liquorice-root, Hulten's Liquorice Root |
| Family: Apiaceae |
| Range: Northwestern Europe, including Britain, from Denmark to Norway. |
Physical Characteristics
Scots Lovage, Ligusticum scoticum is a hardy herbaceous perennial, growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile.
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| Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Young Shoots, Roots and Seeds |
 Edibility Rating: 3 
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 Known Hazards: None Known.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Scots Lovage along with all the Scots Lovage containing recipes presented on this site, with 1 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Scots Lovage as a major wild food ingredient.
Scots Lovage is a perennial flowering plant in the celery family Apiaceae (previously Umbelliferae) found near the coasts of northern Europe and north-eastern North America. It grows up to 60 centimetres (24 in) tall and is found in rock crevices and cliff-top grassland.
Ligusticum scoticum is a herbaceous perennial plant which typically grows 15–60 centimetres (6–23+1⁄2 in) tall. It has triangular, twice-ternate leaves, 5–20 cm (2–7+7⁄8 in) long, with each lobe 2–5 cm (3⁄4–2 in) long. The edges of the leaves may be toothed, lobed or serrated, and are typically either a paler green or magenta. The stem branches infrequently, and bears 2–5 inflorescences, each of which is a compound umbel 4–6 cm (1+1⁄2–2+1⁄4 in) in diameter. There are typically 8–12 rays in both the primary and secondary umbels. Each individual flower is around 2 mm (1⁄16 in) in diameter and greenish-white in colour The fruit are 4–6 mm (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) long, with five prominent ridges on each carpel.
Ligusticum scoticum is primarily an Arctic plant, with a disjunct range extending from northern Norway to the more northerly shores of the British Isles, and from western Greenland to New England. Within the British Isles, Ligusticum scoticum is only found on coasts where the mean July temperature is below 15 °C (59 °F), and this bound is likely also to apply in other parts of the species' range. The southernmost occurrence of L. scoticum is at Ballyhalbert in Northern Ireland. However, despite its limited range in the UK, it's available as a garden plant and well worth adding to your wild plant collection (plant in a shady north-facing spot).
Ligusticum scoticum tastes and smells like parsley[2] or celery and the seeds have a fenugreek and cumin like character. This is because the plant contains the compound sotolon, which is also present in fenugreek. The leaves, flowers and young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are usually blanched in order to make the flavour milder at which point they are said to have a 'delicious celery-meets-parsley flavoured'. Though I've never really been a fan. The stem can be used as a flavouring in soups, stews etc and possesses a celery-like flavour. The root can be eaten raw or cooked sweet flavour. Along with the young shoots the roots can be candied, like angelica. The mature, dried, seeds are typically ground to a powder and have a sharp, hot flavour and a taste part-way between fenugreek and cumin. They are used as a flavouring in soups and stews. To my mind, ground Scottish Lovage seeds are an excellent addition to Indian-style masalas (spice blends).
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Scots Lovage as a major wild food ingredient.
Scots Lovage is a perennial flowering plant in the celery family Apiaceae (previously Umbelliferae) found near the coasts of northern Europe and north-eastern North America. It grows up to 60 centimetres (24 in) tall and is found in rock crevices and cliff-top grassland.
Ligusticum scoticum is a herbaceous perennial plant which typically grows 15–60 centimetres (6–23+1⁄2 in) tall. It has triangular, twice-ternate leaves, 5–20 cm (2–7+7⁄8 in) long, with each lobe 2–5 cm (3⁄4–2 in) long. The edges of the leaves may be toothed, lobed or serrated, and are typically either a paler green or magenta. The stem branches infrequently, and bears 2–5 inflorescences, each of which is a compound umbel 4–6 cm (1+1⁄2–2+1⁄4 in) in diameter. There are typically 8–12 rays in both the primary and secondary umbels. Each individual flower is around 2 mm (1⁄16 in) in diameter and greenish-white in colour The fruit are 4–6 mm (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) long, with five prominent ridges on each carpel.
Ligusticum scoticum is primarily an Arctic plant, with a disjunct range extending from northern Norway to the more northerly shores of the British Isles, and from western Greenland to New England. Within the British Isles, Ligusticum scoticum is only found on coasts where the mean July temperature is below 15 °C (59 °F), and this bound is likely also to apply in other parts of the species' range. The southernmost occurrence of L. scoticum is at Ballyhalbert in Northern Ireland. However, despite its limited range in the UK, it's available as a garden plant and well worth adding to your wild plant collection (plant in a shady north-facing spot).
Ligusticum scoticum tastes and smells like parsley[2] or celery and the seeds have a fenugreek and cumin like character. This is because the plant contains the compound sotolon, which is also present in fenugreek. The leaves, flowers and young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are usually blanched in order to make the flavour milder at which point they are said to have a 'delicious celery-meets-parsley flavoured'. Though I've never really been a fan. The stem can be used as a flavouring in soups, stews etc and possesses a celery-like flavour. The root can be eaten raw or cooked sweet flavour. Along with the young shoots the roots can be candied, like angelica. The mature, dried, seeds are typically ground to a powder and have a sharp, hot flavour and a taste part-way between fenugreek and cumin. They are used as a flavouring in soups and stews. To my mind, ground Scottish Lovage seeds are an excellent addition to Indian-style masalas (spice blends).
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Scots Lovage recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 1 recipes in total:
Page 1 of 1
| Pork and Wild Food Curry Origin: Britain |
Page 1 of 1