Burnet

Burnet is native to the north temperate zone and the Mediterranean. It is referred to as garden or salad burnet. The herb is a hardy perennial with a strong creeping rhizome. A member of the rose family, it is eaten in salads and used in the mixture of fines herbes in French cuisine. One can also use the leaves to make a tea. The fresh leaves are a good source of vitamin C and are said to aid digestion. The ancients are thought to have imbibed the herb as a tonic after submerging the fresh stems in a wine and letting it age.

Burnet gets a general nod of approval from Nicholas Culpeper in his Complete Herbal “….a most precious herb….the continual use of it preserves the body in health and spirit in vigour….”. The delicate leaves with their graceful pinnate foliage are more flavorful fresh than dried. They bring a subtle cucumber flavor to salads, cool drinks and soft cheeses. Try mixing up a cream cheese and burnet spread to make festive late summer tea sandwiches.

The name Sanguisorba is from the Latin sanguis (blood) and sorbeo (to absorb). Here’s to the beauty of salad burnet and to our health and vigor!

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