Dill

Dill originates from the southern and central parts of the Asian continent and is commonly known to be a very short-lived herb. It is the only specie of the genus Anethum. The maximum height of this herb can reach as high as 60 cm and it consists of slender stems and soft, delicate leaves that can extend to a maximum length of about 20 cm. The flowers of Dill vary from white to yellow and are about 2 to 9 cm in diameter. The seeds of these herbs can be of a maximum length of 5 mm with 1 mm of thickness.

The dill seeds are more extensively used as spices all over the world and the fresh leaves of the dill weed are used as herbs.

The Dill herb can be successfully cultivated in the periods of summers where the sunshine is at its highest levels. The soil requirement for the Dill herb is fairly rich and above all the drainage has to be rich enough. The seeds can be used for about 3 to a maximum of 10 years. The name of this herb as dill was kept due to its Anglo-Saxon meaning of the word 'dylle' which means to soothe, and this plant has the features of relieving gas.

The fresh leaves of the dill plants are dried so that they can be used as herbs. The leaves of the dill plants are known to be aromatic because of which they are used in the food flavorings and also in other soups and pickles. It is always recommended to use the products of this plant as fresh as possible because it tends to lose its flavor very rapidly. However if they are frozen and dried the flavor can still be maintained for over a year.

The seeds of the Dill plants are used very popularly as spices; its oils are also widely used extracted from the leaves stems and the seeds.

In the medicinal uses, the dill plant is effective in the cure of certain digestion problems.