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 for its fragrant yet light aroma.
Ombalo can be added to almost any lamb, beef or pork dish. In Georgian cuisine, tkemali sauce is prepared with this spice, sometimes marsh mint is found in the hop-suneli seasoning. In England, various fillings and sauces for meat dishes are prepared with ombalo, and in Armenia this spice is used as a flavoring agent for cheeses.
The leaves and shoots of this plant are added to desserts with dried fruits and prunes, baked goods, soft drinks, sweets, tea, liqueur, wine and liqueurs. And ready-made dishes are decorated with young green leaves. If you cannot find an ombalo for making tkemali sauce or another dish, you can replace it with a mixture of peppermint and savory.
Marsh mint is not only able to give a dish a delicate aroma and taste, but also has properties useful 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 inflammation of the gums, diseases of the skin and oral cavity.
Despite the pleasant aroma of the spice and useful properties, it cannot be used in large quantities. It can cause tremendous damage to the liver, and pregnant and lactating women should also give it up. By the way, ombalo dishes can be replaced with other mint spices without prejudice to the taste.
