The Magic of Thyme For Cooking and Health Table of Contents Introduction Cultivation of Thyme Growing Thyme Propagation of Cultivars Harvesting Your Plant Crop Thyme in Cuisine How to Use Thyme? Thyme tea Tonsillitis Cure Sinusitis Cure. Thyme in Medicine Thyme for Skin Diseases Herbal vinegar Thyme as a Foot Talc Natural Cough Syrup Making Herbal Syrups Arthritis Remedy Conclusion Author Bio Introduction Thyme also known as Thymus serpyllum is a popularly culinary and garden plant with a number of different varieties all having much in the same use in cooking and medicine. Since ancient times, this was considered to be one of the most popular herbs, because it was so commonly available. It was used to flavor food with an aromatic, warm and pungent flavor. The name Thyme is Greek in origin, because it originally was a native in the Mediterranean region from where it will spread to other parts of the world and other sunny regions. It normally means fumigation, which is an allusion to the healing properties of its smoke. In ancient times, Greeks used to take sprigs of thyme leaves and make them into bundles. Then they used to set fire to them. This was then used to perfume the air of their rooms, as well as public spots like temples and other public gathering places with the aromatic smell of this herb. The smell of the thyme was supposed to lift depression and calm anxiety. So I would not be surprised that the Roman forum was also extensively fumigated with time smoke before the Senators decided they had to say something on the lines of Alea Jacta est or Delenda est Carthago- or Carthago must go. This was also used extensively in herbal medicine. Ancient thyme vinegar recipes have come down the ages to us, to help cure small ailments as a natural disinfectant. This plant is native to North Asia, Europe and Australia. The dried leaves and the flowering tops of this plant along with another variety Thymus vulgaris are either called wild thyme or thyme . This normally prefers growing in the high altitude of about 1529 m above sea level. Thyme has been growing extensively in France, Germany, Spain and Italy for millenniums. In ancient times, it was normally used as an antifungal, as well as to cure bladder and intestinal infections. It is a common garden plant, which is going to live for many years, once it is planted and watered regularly. The leaves of this plant are curled, brownish green in color, usually not longer than six - seven mm and marketed in either a whole form or in ground form. If you lived in medieval times, and a maiden or a lad shyly offered you a sprig of thyme, it meant that she/he was offering his hand and heart to you. Accepting the sprig meant, okay, talk to my parents, because I agree and if you did not accept it, he/she could go and do the same offering of the sprig to the next one on his list. Nice thing, this language of flowers, is not it! In ancient times it meant courage, and in medieval times, it meant perseverance and remembrance. That is why ladies always embroidered a bee on a sprig of thyme and handed them to their knights going off adventuring. The idea was, though far thou bee, do not forget mee, though moments flee and thyme may pass, I will still bee and stay thy faithful lass. The more practical knight could take that as an unspoken threat of, go gathering honey elsewhere, and you shall feel my wrath, like a bee sting.