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Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.)

Synonyms

pharmaceuticalFolia Melissae
AlbanianBar blete, Bari i bletës, Melisa, Erëx, Milcë, Pselik, Spelinok
Arabicتريجان, حشيشة النمل, ريحان الليمون
تُرِيجَان, حَشِيشَة الْنَمَل, رَيْحَان الْلَيْمُون
Turijan, Hashisha al-namal, Hashisha an-namal, Raihan al-limun
ArmenianԹոր, Թրնջխոտ
Tor, Ternjekhot
BasqueGarraiska, Limoe bedarr
BretonBegar
BulgarianМаточина, Пчеляк
Matochina, Pchelyak
Chinese
(Cantonese)
香蜂草 [hēung fùng chóu]
Heung fung chou
Chinese
(Mandarin)
香蜂草 [xiāng fēng cǎo], 香蜂花 [xiāng fēng huā], 香蜂葉 [xiāng fēng yè]
Xiang feng cao, Xiang feng hua, Xiang feng ye
CroatianMatičnjak
CzechMeduňka
DanishCitronmelisse
DutchBijenkruid, Citroenkruid, Citroenmelisse
EnglishBalm
EsperantoMeliso, Oficina meliso, Citrona meliso
EstonianSidrunmeliss, Meliss
Farsiبادرنجبویه, فرنج مشک
Badranjbuye, Farandj moschk
FinnishSitruunamelissa
FrenchBaume, Citronnelle, Mélisse, Herbe citron
GermanMelisse, Zitronenmelisse, Herztrost
GreekΜελίσσα, Μελισσόχορτο
Melissa, Melissochorto
Greek (Old)Μελισσοφύλλον, Μελίτταινα
Melissophyllon, Melittaina
Hebrewמליסה
מֵלִסָּה
Melissa
HungarianMézfű, Orvosi citromfű, Macskaméz, Melissza, Anyaméhfű
IcelandicSítrónumelissa, Hjartafró
ItalianMelissa, Cedronella, Citronella, Erba limona
Japanese西洋山薄荷
せいようやまはっか
セイヨウヤマハッカ, コウスイハッカ, レモンバーム
Seiyō-yamahakka, Seiyo-yamahakka, Kōsui-hakka, Kosui-hakka, Remonbamu
KazakhДәрілік мелисса
Lärilik melïssa
Korean멜리사, 레몬 밤, 레몬밤
Mellisa, Remon bam, Remon-bam
Laoບາມ
Baam
LatvianĀrstniecības melisa, Citronmētra, Citronmelisa
LithuanianVaistinė melisa, Citrininė melisa
MacedonianМаточина, матичина, Пчеларник, Пчелник
Matočina, Matičina, Pčelarnik, Pčelnik
Malayalamലെമന്‍ മിന്‍ത, ലെമൻ മിൻത
Leman mintu
NorwegianSitronmelisse
PolishMelisa lekarska
PortugueseErva-cidreira, Melissa
ProvençalCitrounelo, Pouncirado
RomanianRoinițăRoiniţă
RussianЛимонник, Мелисса лимонная
Limonnik, Melissa limonnaya
SerbianМатичњак, Маточина, Пчелињак, Лимунка, Пчелиња метвица, Мелиса
Matičnjak, Matočina, Pčelinjak, Limunka, Pčelinja metvica, Melisa
SlovakMedovka lekárska
SlovenianMelisa
SpanishBalsamita maior, Toronjil
SwedishCitronmeliss, Hjärtansfröjd
Thaiสะระแหน่
Saranae
TurkishOğul otu, Melisa otu, Kovan otu, Acemotu, Limon nanesi, Limon otu, Turuncan
UkrainianМеліса лікарська, Маточник, Меліса лимонна, Роївник
Melisa likarska, Matochnyk, Melisa limonna, Royivnyk
VietnameseTía tô đất
Tia to dat
Yiddishמעליסע, האָניק־מעליסע
Melise, Honik-melise
Synonyms for bergamot (Monarda didyma)

pharmaceuticalHerba Monardae
Arabicمونارده
Munardah
CroatianMetvulja, Zlata melisa
EnglishMonard, Oswego tea, Bee balm
EstonianAedmonarda, Monarda
FinnishVäriminttu, Teeminttu
FrenchBergamote, Thé d’Oswego
GermanMonarde, Goldmelisse, Blumenmelisse
Hebrewמונרדה מצויה
Monarda matsuya
HungarianBergamott
ItalianBergamotto
Japanese松明花
たいまつばな
タイマツバナ
Taimatsubana
LithuanianRaudonoji monarda
Korean베르가모트
Perugamotu, Bereugamoto
NorwegianEtasjeblomst, Hagehestemynte
SpanishBergamota
Swedish(Blodröd) Temynta
Yiddishמאָנאַרדע
Monarde
Melissa officinalis: Balm leaf
Lemon balm leaves
Melissa officinalis: Lemon balm plants
Lemon balm plants (flowering)
Used plant part

Leaves.

Plant family

Lami­aceae (mint family).

Sensory quality

Fresh and citrusy, like lemon or lemon grass. See also lemon myrtle.

Main constituents

Balm leaves contain no more than 0.1% of essential oil which is of complex and variable composition. Among the more than 50 aroma compounds yet identified, citronellal (dominantly the (R) enantiomer, see also kaffir lime), β-caryophyllene, neral, geranial, citronellol and geraniol amount to about 70% of the oil. The composition is similar to that of lemon grass, but balm oil can be identified by its typical pattern in chiral compounds; for example, enantiomerically almost pure (R)-(+)-methyl citronellate is a good indicator of true balm oil. Lastly, determination of carbon isotope ratio by IRMS (isotope ratio mass spectrometry) is also capable to distinguish between the two oils. (Pharmazie, 50, 60, 1995).

Melissa officinalis: Flowering lemon balm
Flowering lemon balm
Monarda didyma: Bergamot (bee balm) flowers
Bergamot
Origin

Probably from Western Asia.

Etymology

Balm is a short­ened form of balsam, deriving from Latin balsamum balsam tree, which was also used for the resin obtained therefrom (Balm of Mecca). The ultimate source of the word is Old Hebrew boshem (modern bossem) [בשם], which denotes the balsam tree (Commi­phora opo­balsamum syn. Amyris opo­balsamum, Burser­aceae/Rutales) and its resin, but also means fragrance or spice in general. It also appears as busma [ܒܤܡܐ] in the Aramaic New Testament.

The Latin species name melissa is shortened from Classical Greek melisso-phyllon [μελισσο-φύλλον] bee-leaf; the plant is rich in nectar and commonly planted to feed bees. That name is akin to Latin mel honey and also the British term for orange rind jelly, marmalade. Similar associations referring to bees are found in several European languages, e. g., Yiddish honik-melise [האָניק־מעליסע] honey-balm, Dutch bijenkruid bee herb or Hungarian méhfű (also mézfű) bee grass. Cf. also Chinese xiang feng cao [香蜂草] fragrant bee plant and English bee balm for the related plant bergamot, Monarda didyma.

Also the Bulgarian name matochina [маточина] refers to the bee feeding quality of lemon balm: Bulgarian matitsa [матица] bee queen, derived from Common Slavonic MAT’ mother (in modern Bulgarian majka [майка]). Similar remarks apply to Czech meduňka, Slovak medovka, Serbo-Croatian matičnjak [матичњак] and related forms. Another Bulgarian name of lemon balm, pcheliak [пчеляк], is directly derived from pchela [пчела] bee (from the Proto-Indo–European noun bʰei-, which also gives English bee).

Because of the prominent lemon fragrance, many names of balm contain an element referring to that citrus fruit. Often, this element is optional with emphasizing character, as in German Zitronenmelisse (actually, Melisse is the same plant); yet in other cases the lemon element is essential in the name, which then often translates to lemon plant or similar, e. g., Portuguese erva-cidreira, Hungarian citromfű, Italian erba limona and Dutch citroenkruid lemon-herb; in the same spirit, there are Ukrainian lymonna trava [лимонна трава] lemon-grass and Arabic raihan al-limun [ريحان الليمون] lemon-basil (or lemon-fragrance, see basil). See lemon and lime for the etymologies of the names of lemon mentioned here.

Melissa officinalis: Lemon balm flowering plant
Lemon balm flowering plant

The Spanish name of lemon balm, toronjil, appears to be related to Arabic turijan [تريجان] lemon balm but I don’t know any details. Perhaps, it is related to Arabic utruj [أترج] and its Hebrew cognate etrog [אתרוג] citron. Note, however, that Spanish toronjil morado purple lemon balm, refers to Agastache mexicana, another herb of the same plant family which has a superb lemon fragrance. The latter plant is in English often termed Mexican Giant Hyssop or Lemon Hyssop, although it is no more related to hyssop than to lemon balm.

Swedish hjärtansfröjd heat’s delight probably refers less to balm’s pleasant fragrance, but more to the usage of lemon balm against nervous heart diseases in folk medicine. The same holds true for the analogous German local name Herztrost.

In Japanese, lemon balm is known as seiyō-yama-hakka [西洋山薄荷, せいようやまはっか]. This formidable compound can be broken down to hakka mint which is augmented by the element yama (see also Sichuan pepper for the readings of the Kanji ). Thus, we get the compound name yamahakka (literally mountain mint) which denotes the native plant spurflower (Rabdosia inflexa). The second prefix seiyō means foreign. Incidentally, seiyō-hakka is the Japanese name of English-type peppermint.

The genus name of bergamot, Monarda, was given in honour of Nicholas Monardus, a Spanish botanist (1493–1588).

Selected Links

Indian Spices: Lemon Balm (indianetzone.com) Ilkas und Ullis Kochecke: Melisse (rezkonv.de via archive.org) A Pinch of Lemon Balm (www.apinchof.com) chemikalienlexikon.de: Citral Floridata.com: Lemon Balm Crop and Food Research: Lemon Balm (crop.cri.nz via archive.org) Alles over Citroenmelisse (natuurlijkerwijs.com) Herbs by Linda Gilbert: Lemon Balm


Melissa officinalis: Sterile lemon balm plants
Lemon balm plant
Lemon balm is less a spice than a medical herb, in past times much used against stomach ailment and nervous conditions. It has, however, some value as spice, because of its fresh and pure lemon taste, which makes it a perfect substitute for fresh lemon grass or (in dried form) sassafras.

In Central Europe, lemon balm is sometimes used to flavour sweet drinks. The leaves make an interesting decoration on many dishes and may be used generously if you (and your guests) like the aroma. They fit best to fish, poultry and salads; it is also suggested to use balm leaves for any dish containing lemon juice to get a more intensive lemon aroma. If available, the fresh leaves are to be preferred. True lovers of this herb may want to try a pesto made of lemon balm leaves instead of basil.

Although lemon balm is not one of the traditional seven herbs used for the Frankfurt Green Sauce, it is a recommendable addition to this traditional recipe (see borage).

Lemon balm has a great affinity for fresh fruits, especially apples; thus, it is sometimes found in apple-based desserts. Balm can also be used to flavour other fruits, fruit salads or fruit-based desserts (see also lemon verbena). Because herbal vinegar is mostly made from apple vinegar, it may benefit from a few balm leaves (see dill).

Bergamot (not to be confused with the homonymous orange relative) is a related plant with similar, yet harsher and less lovely flavour. Bergamot is rather popular in the USA for infusions; this usage dates back to the Oswego Indians and has some historic significance (Boston Tea Party).



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