An Attempt To Make Lemon Balm Pesto And Some Greek Mythology

I thought I would join in on the Lemon Balm discussion even though I don't really know much about the herb, but that can change, right?

My first thought was this is one of these herbs you can buy fresh in the supermarket. So I figured it must be used quite a lot in cooking. And yes, during my next visit to the supermarket I found some and thought I'll try and use this somehow.

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Lemon Balm from the supermarket.

I started google recipes and came across a pesto one. I liked that idea, to add lemon balm to pesto. Lately I have been experimenting a bit with different kinds of pesto, even though I'm aware pesto is traditionally based on basil. But it's a bit like hummus right, you can basically mix anything you think would taste good together πŸ™‚ (And I leave out the cheese anyway). So I basically based my Lemon Balm pesto on the recipe I found, I just modified it a bit.

The ingredients I used:

  • fresh spinach
  • fresh lemon balm
  • garlic
  • sunflower seed
  • olive oil
  • salt and black pepper

The thing is that I don't see any point in giving the proportions since the pesto turned out to taste quite bitter. I don't know what caused this bitter taste since I just threw all of the ingredients into the mixer at once but I made sure to not include any of the stems from the Lemon Balm. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Maybe it's just better if I buy some Lemon Balm tea and stick to that...

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The bitter tasting Lemon Balm pesto.

Some Lemon Balm Greek Mythology


I didn't let my failed attempt at making a Lemon Balm pesto discourage me though. I was curious and found out it holds a significant place in Greek culture.

The Latin word for Lemon Balm, Melissa, comes from the Greek word for 'honeybee'.

According to blueridgeconservation.com 'in Greek mythology, Melissa, the Goddess of the bees, was the nymph who discovered honey and taught the use of honey and from whom bees were believed to have received their name. Nymphs were said to be able to take the form of bees. These bee-nymphs, named Melissae in her honor, nursed the infant Zeus with honey. He gained power to later become the king of the gods.'

According to Megan Bumb 'The ancient Greeks believed that lemon balm and bees have a strong relationship; for example, they believed that bees would never abandon a hive if the herb grew nearby. […] The Greeks also believed very strongly in melissa as a promoter of long life. The last prince of Wales, Prince Llewellyn, who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries, was said to have drunk melissa tea every day of his 108 year life.'

What I also found amusing was that according to moonmaidbotanicals.com Lemon Balm 'has been used in pursuit of romance and in baths to attract love. […] Charms can be made and worn to bring a lover into one’s life.'

Maybe I should make a Lemon Balm charm then πŸ˜‰

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But seriously, from my brief research I have understood that Lemon Balm is a potent herb and can have a calming effect. I don't have any problems sleeping at the moment (knock on wood) but since I read the herb can also aid digestion I'll definitely buy some Lemon Balm tea and see if it has any effect on my digestion since this is the one thing that really makes my daily life a struggle.

Thanks for reading 🌸

Love and blessings to you all πŸ’š

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