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| Dill plants in full flower |
To make herbal vinegar, a mild vinegar brand must be chosen (e.g., apple
vinegar). Herbs, a clove of garlic and, if desired,
a few pepper or allspice corns are then macerated for a couple of
weeks. Many different herbs have been suggested; cookbooks mention most
frequently tarragon, thyme, bay leaves, chervil and cress
(nasturtium flowers are particularly decorative). Further, optional herbs are
rosemary, lemon balm,
lovage, basil and even
rue. Lemon-scented herbs (e.g., chameleon plant or lemon
myrtle) are particularly effective. Perilla
leaves can be employed to give the vinegar both subtle flavour and a most
unusual colour. Dill adds depth and body to the product
and should never be omitted. When ready, herbal vinegar may be used to prepare
delicious sauces; most commonly, however, it is used for salads, which is
delightful during winter when fresh herbs are sparse.
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| Ripening dill umbels |
In North Eastern Europe and Russia, dill is popular for pickled vegetables, which are there produced in great variety, either by pickling in vinegar or by lactic fermentation. Fresh dill sprigs are mandatory in most recipes of that kind. In these regions with long, cold winters, preserved vegetables are an important source of vitamins and fresh flavour for the otherwise dull winter diet. Dill is also one of the few herbs used in the cooking of the Baltic states, where chopped dill is a frequent decoration on various foods (e.g., boiled potatoes), similar to the use of parsley and chives in other European countries.
Fresh dill leaves (dillweed) is a kind of “national spice” in Scandinavian countries, where fish or shellfish dishes are usually either directly flavoured with dill or served together with sauces containing dill. German cooks also tend to use dill mostly for fish soups and stews (see also parsley on bouquet garni). Dill reached the Northern latitudes probably via medieval monasteries, where it was grown as a medicinal herb according to the Capitulare de villis (see lovage).
Dill has, however, retained its popularity in its original homeland, Asia. Dried dill shows up in Georgia's famous spice mixture, khmeli-suneli (see marjoram) and is also quite popular in Iran, mainly for boiled beans.
In India, however, dried dill fruits are occasionally used to flavour
the lentil and bean dishes known as dal [दाल]
(see ajwain).
