Ombalo spice is made from young leaves and flowering shoots of the perennial plant of the same name, which is also called marsh and flea mint. This spice is popular in cooking due to its fragrant but light aroma.
Pick your recipe
Ombalo can be added to almost any dish of lamb, beef and pork. In Georgian cuisine, tkemali sauce is prepared with this spice, sometimes marsh mint is found in seasonings of hop-suneli. In England, with ombalo, they prepare various fillings and sauces for meat dishes, and in Armenia this spice is used as a flavoring for cheeses.
The leaves and shoots of this plant are added to desserts with dried fruits and prunes, pastries, soft drinks, sweets, tea, liquor, wine and tinctures. And young green leaves decorate ready-made dishes. If an ombalo could not be found to make tkemali sauce or another dish, it can be replaced with a mixture of peppermint and savory.
Useful properties of ombalo
Swamp mint is not only able to give the dish a delicate aroma and taste, but also has beneficial properties for humans. It is widely used in folk medicine and homeopathy, with its help you can get rid of bronchitis and colds, pain in the stomach and intestines, calm the nervous system, improve appetite, relieve headaches and strengthen blood vessels. Ombalo will help to cope with gum disease, skin and oral diseases.
Despite the pleasant aroma of spices and useful properties, it can not be used in large quantities. It can cause great harm to the liver, and pregnant and lactating women should also refuse it. By the way, without prejudice to the taste of the dish, the ombalo can be replaced with other mint spices.