Lemon balm

Melissa officinalis

herb

Lemon-scented leaves of a perennial from the Mediterranean basin, of the mint family; infused, or fresh in fruit salads. It provides rosmarinic acid. It has long been drunk to unwind, and for bloating.

Origin

Eastern Mediterranean

Season (United States)

May to October

Preparation

Fresh, the leaves are chopped raw into fruit salads or drinks; fresh or dried, they are infused for five to ten minutes in barely simmering water, then removed.

Molecules

Rosmarinic acidIn small amounts, not counted Citral

Did you know?

Its Greek name means “bee leaf”; in Corsica, beekeepers rubbed the inside of a hive with the fresh plant to draw in the swarm.