Sweet woodruff
스위트 우드러프
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Photo: Björn Traeger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)
Freshly picked leaves have almost no smell. But leave them to wilt for a few hours and a sweet scent of vanilla and freshly cut hay appears. In Germany, people drink wine flavored with this herb on May 1.
Please read before eating. This herb needs some care. See cautions
Flavor and aroma
- Wilted or dried, it has a sweet scent like a mix of vanilla, almond and hay.
- It's a gentle herb that is more about aroma than taste.
Fun facts
- The aroma compound coumarin forms as it wilts, so wilting is the key.
- Its German name is Waldmeister, "master of the woods."
- It's the herb that flavors Maibowle, Germany's May wine.
- It's in the madder family, the same family as the coffee plant.
In the kitchen
Drinks
- Wilt the stems for a few hours or dry them, then briefly soak them in white wine (such as Riesling) to make May wine. Strawberries are sometimes floated in it.
- Make a syrup and mix it with water or sparkling water. It's also used as the syrup added to Berliner Weisse, a German wheat beer, and as herbal tea.
Desserts
- Use it to flavor ice cream, jelly and jam.
Goes well with
White wineStrawberrySparkling wine
Tips
- Fresh leaves have almost no aroma, so always wilt or dry them first. Steep briefly rather than for a long time.
Season
We're still checking the season. We'll add it once we find a source.
Details
- Korean name
- 스위트 우드러프
- English names
- sweet woodruff
- Scientific name
- Galium odoratum
- Former scientific names
- Asperula odorata
- Family
- Rubiaceae
- Genus
- Galium
- Other names and notes
- German: Waldmeister
Cautions
The aroma compound coumarin can harm the liver in large amounts, and Germany regulates how much is allowed in food. The amount used to flavor drinks is considered safe, but people taking blood thinners or with bleeding disorders should be careful.
Show sources for this page
References for this herb
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Herb Society(영국)
- Mountain Rose Herbs
- Drugs.com
- Burke's Backyard
Name and classification
Photo
Björn Traeger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)