Historically, the use of lemon balm has always been primarily medicinal. However, in the Renaissance it was also used as a food, as we read in Costanzo Felici's letter on salads (16th century).
La melissa [...] è molto in uso al tempo della primavera con le sue cime tenere nel'insalata e si usa ancora in altre vivande, fina nelle torte e salsa, che è cibo veramente cordiale.
"Lemon balm is very much used in spring to make salads with its tender tops and also in other dishes, even torte [a type of pies] and sauces, and comforts the heart."
For more information about vegetables in historical Italian cooking check out our book “Early Italian Recipes. Vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers”
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