Dill
Annual herb used widely in Eurasian cuisine.
The plant grows from a taproot up to 0.5–1.5 m tall, with slender hollow stems and finely divided leaves.[1] Belonging to the Apiaceae family, the annual herb known as dill (Anethum graveolens) originates from North Africa and West Asia.[2] Food flavoring is achieved through the use of dill's foliage and seeds as either a herb or a spice.[2]
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Anethum
- Species
- graveolens
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
Dill has been found in the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep II, dating to around 1400 BC.[3] It was later found in the Greek city of Samos around the 7th century BC and mentioned by Theophrastus.[3] Anethum, the genus name, comes from Latin, which itself derived from Greek words that could refer to either "dill" or "anise".[4] Western Romance languages and the now-rare English term 'anet' trace their dill names back to this Latin word.[5]
A figure from Greek mythology, Anethus, underwent a transformation into the dill plant.[3] Flower umbels, measuring 2.5–9 cm across, produce small, fragrant blossoms that range from white to yellow.[6] Dried fruit, 4–5 mm long and 1 mm thick, yields the seeds, which have a surface marked by longitudinal ridges.[6] Soap manufacturing utilizes oil obtained through distillation of the seeds.[7]
What the cited sources add
The Wisconsin Horticulture account states that dill plants grow 18 inches to 4 feet tall and resemble fennel.[8] It notes that successive plantings can be made every 10 to 14 days while weather is cool for a continuous harvest of leaves.[8] The same source reports that dill has few pest problems other than occasional aphid infestation or powdery mildew.[8] M. G. Kains's 1912 book describes dill as probably the most important herb whose seeds, rather than leaves, are used in flavoring food.[9]
Kains also states that immense quantities of cucumber pickles flavored with dill are used in restaurants and by families.[9] The French use dill for flavoring preserves, cakes, and pastry, according to Kains.[9] Kains notes that dill vinegar is a popular household condiment.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Dill" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Dill, Anethum graveolens", Wisconsin Horticulture, n.d.; "Anethum graveolens", Plant Finder, n.d. (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dill" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Anethum graveolens L.", World Flora Online, 2023 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dill" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pickersgill, "The Cultural History of Plants", Routledge, 2005, p. 163; Pickersgill, "The Cultural History of Plants", Routledge, 2005, p. 163; Forbes Irving, "Metamorphosis in Greek Myths", Oxford University Press, Clarendon Press, 1990, p. 280 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dill" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lewis, "ănēthum", Perseus Digital Library, 1879 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dill" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "s.v. 'anise'" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dill" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Dill, Anethum graveolens", Wisconsin Horticulture, n.d. (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dill" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: M. G. Kains, "Culinary Herbs: Their Cultivation Harvesting Curing and Uses", Orange Judd Company, 1912 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Dill, Anethum graveolens", Wisconsin Horticulture, n.d.. facts only, no text reused. hort.extension.wisc.edu
- M. G. Kains, "Culinary Herbs: Their Cultivation Harvesting Curing and Uses", Orange Judd Company, 1912. facts only, no text reused. gutenberg.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Dill (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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