Rosemary leaves are used as a flavoring in foods, such as stuffing and roast lamb, pork, chicken, and turkey.
Fresh or dried leaves are used in traditional Mediterranean cuisine.
They have a bitter, astringent taste and a characteristic aroma which complements many cooked foods.
Herbal tea can be made from the leaves.
When roasted with meats or vegetables, the leaves impart a mustard-like aroma with an additional fragrance of charred wood that goes well with barbecued foods.
In amounts typically used to flavor foods, such as one teaspoon (1 gram), rosemary provides no nutritional value.
Rosemary extract has been shown to improve the shelf life and heat stability of omega 3-rich oils which are prone to rancidity.
Rosemary is also an effective antimicrobial herb.
