Everyone knows this ornamental tree whose masses of white blooms decorate the countryside in early spring, followed in autumn by bright red berries which children string into beads.
As a flavouring, however, rowan- berries continue to be neglected. Perhaps because in this overly-civilized world where we can purchase everything packaged and ready-made we have forgotten to look about us and make the most of nature's bounty, of the fruits which are not found on the market but are plentiful in the wild.
The tender young leaves combined with eggs were a popular dish called 'tansy', eaten at Easter to celebrate the end of fasting. This custom has survived to this day in the form of Easter cakes and puddings flavoured with tansy leaves.
It was also believed to banish 'bad humours' caused by a lengthy diet of salt fish. The highly aromatic, rather unpleasant-tasting foliage was used to disguise the strong taste of game and mutton and make it more palatable.
Nowadays tansy is a flavouring that is fast disappearing from cookery, and if used, then generally as an interesting and unusual ingredient. Gourmets recommend using the leaves in omelettes, stuffings, fish dishes and salads, but always sparingly, for larger amounts are toxic. Only young, freshly-picked leaves are used.
The fruits are eaten by birds, chiefly starlings and blackbirds, a fact made use of by fowlers who used to capture them on the tree; the Latin name of the species is derived from `avis capere', meaning to catch birds. The rowan is not harmed by the birds; on the contrary, it benefits because the birds disperse the seeds, which they cannot digest and thus pass out with their faeces, thereby spreading the species
As a flavouring, however, rowan- berries continue to be neglected. Perhaps because in this overly-civilized world where we can purchase everything packaged and ready-made we have forgotten to look about us and make the most of nature's bounty, of the fruits which are not found on the market but are plentiful in the wild.
The tender young leaves combined with eggs were a popular dish called 'tansy', eaten at Easter to celebrate the end of fasting. This custom has survived to this day in the form of Easter cakes and puddings flavoured with tansy leaves.
It was also believed to banish 'bad humours' caused by a lengthy diet of salt fish. The highly aromatic, rather unpleasant-tasting foliage was used to disguise the strong taste of game and mutton and make it more palatable.
Nowadays tansy is a flavouring that is fast disappearing from cookery, and if used, then generally as an interesting and unusual ingredient. Gourmets recommend using the leaves in omelettes, stuffings, fish dishes and salads, but always sparingly, for larger amounts are toxic. Only young, freshly-picked leaves are used.
The fruits are eaten by birds, chiefly starlings and blackbirds, a fact made use of by fowlers who used to capture them on the tree; the Latin name of the species is derived from `avis capere', meaning to catch birds. The rowan is not harmed by the birds; on the contrary, it benefits because the birds disperse the seeds, which they cannot digest and thus pass out with their faeces, thereby spreading the species
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