Table 1.
Wild herbs and spices traditionally used in Italy (Abr—Abruzzo; Bas—Basilicata; Cal—Calabria; Cam—Campania; Emr—Emilia Romagna; Fvg—Friuli Venezia Giulia; Lig—Liguria; Lom—Lombardy; Mol—Molise; Pie—Piedmont; Pug—Puglia; Sar—Sardinia; Sic—Sicily; Tus—Tuscany).
| Species | Family | Vernacular Name | Part Used | Culinary Uses | Region | References | Therapeutic Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achillea millefolium L. | Asteraceae | Tanéda | Flowers | Soup flavoring | Pie | [25] | N/A |
| Achillea moschata Wulfen | Asteraceae | Tanéda matta | Flowers | To flavor salt, pizzoccheri, risotto, salmì, semifreddo and sorbet. | Lom | [23] | N/A |
| Allium lusitanicum Lam. | Amaryllidaceae | Aij mat | Bulbs, leaves | Flavoring in several dishes | Lom | [23] | Blood pressure regulator. |
| Allium neapolitanum Cirillo | Amaryllidaceae | Agghie | Bulbs, leaves | Raw or cooked as herb | Cam | [26] | Blood pressure regulator. |
| Allium nigrum L. | Amaryllidaceae | Added to the tomato sauce | Sic | [22] | N/A | ||
| Allium roseum L. | Amaryllidaceae | Aglio selvatico, agghie | Bulbs, leaves | Raw or cooked in salads and soups | Abr, Cam, Tus | [16,26,27] | For gastrointestinal disorders. |
| Allium schoenoprasum L. | Amaryllidaceae | Erba cipollina, ĆiĨón, aiet, poureto | Leaves | To flavor rice, pasta, salads, soups, fritters and risotto | Emr, Fvg, Pie, Lom, Tus | [23,25,27,28,29,30,31] | Anthelmintic, diuretic, disinfectant, blood pressure regulator. |
| Allium subhirsutum L. | Amaryllidaceae | Leaves | To flavor salads | Sar | [32] | N/A | |
| Allium triquetrum L. | Amaryllidaceae | Agghie, àggiu | Bulbs, leaves | To flavor potato cake, fritters, salads and soups | Cam, Lig, Sar; Tus | [26,27,32,33] | Anthelmintic, diuretic, disinfectant, blood pressure regulator. |
| Allium ursinum L. | Amaryllidaceae | Aglio ursino, agliustro, aglio selvatico | Bulbs, leaves | Flavoring in soups | Abr, Cam, Emr | [16,27,34] | Anthelmintic, diuretic, disinfectant, blood pressure regulator. |
| Allium vineale L. | Amaryllidaceae | Aglio pippolino | Bulbs, leaves | Flavoring soups, salads and sauces | Tus, Pie | [25,27,30] | N/A |
| Anethum graveolens L. | Apiaceae | F’nucchiastr | Leaves | Spice for sausages and Easter cakes | Bas, Mol | [35,36] | N/A |
| Armoracia rusticana G. Gaertn., B. Mey. and Scherb. | Brassicaceae | Cren, hrne | Roots | As spicy flavoring in sauces and soups | Fvg | [31] | N/A |
| Artemisia vulgaris L. | Asteraceae | Arsemize | Leaves | Flavoring soups and omelettes | Pie | [29] | N/A |
| Brassica nigra (L.) W. D. J. Koch | Brassicaceae | Senape | Seeds | Aromatic herb | Abr | [16] | N/A |
| Calamintha sylvatica L. | Lamiaceae | Leaves | Condiment. | Bas | [37] | N/A | |
| Capparis spinosa L. (incl. C. ovata Desf.) | Capparaceae | Chiapparo, chiapparu | Buds | Flavoring for salads, pasta, meat, fish, sauces, pasta and garnishes to add a pungent spicy flavor. | Cal, Cam, Sic, Tus | [22,27,38,39,40] | Digestive and aperient. |
| Carum carvi L. | Apiaceae | Choré, chiréi, chimmel | Seeds | Flavoring (especially meat and poultry, particularly rabbit, or sarass, a local fermented and spiced ricottacheese). Flavoring in bread. | Lom, Pie | [23,28,29] | Carminative, digestive, galactagogue. |
| Clinopodium nepeta (L.) Kuntze subsp. nepeta (= Calamintha nepeta (L.) Savi.) | Lamiaceae | Anipeta, nepetella | Leaves | In soups and to aromatize artichokes, tomatoes, zucchini and chickpea salads, or as flavoring for fried or preserved in oil mushrooms. | Cal, Cam, Sic, Tus | [22,26,27,30,34,38,41] | Against stomach ache. |
| Crataegus monogyna Jacq. | Rosaceae | Biancospino | Fruits | As spice. | Cam | [34] | N/A |
| Crithmum maritimum L. | Apiaceae | Finucchieddu maritimum | Leaves | As flavoring. | Sic | [42] | N/A |
| Cydonia oblonga L. | Rosaceae | Fruits | Flavoring in the sapa de ficu murisca | Sar | [32] | N/A | |
| Daucus carota L. subsp. carota | Apiaceae | Leaves | To flavor game meat. | Sar | [32] | N/A | |
| Foeniculum vulgare Miller | Apiaceae | Finocchio selvatico, aniedd, fnucchio, finucc, fenùcciu, finocchiu sàrvaticum | Leaves; seeds; fruits; young stems | Fruits to flavor bread, dried figs and pickled olives, and sausages. Finely chopped leaves as flavoring in soups, omelettes, meat and fish dishes | Abr, Bas, Cal, Cam, Emr, Lig, Pug, Sar, Sic, Tus | [16,21,22,24,25,27,30,32,33,34,37,38,39,40,41,43,44,45,46] | Digestive, carminative, gastrointestinal disorders. |
| Gymnadenia rhellicani (Teppner and E.Klein) Teppner and E.Klein (=Nigritella rhellicani Teppner and E. Klein; N. nigra (L.) Rchb.) | Orchidaceae | Vaniglione, moréti | Flowers | Flavoring in sweets. | Lom | [17,23] | N/A |
| Helichrysum italicum (Roth) Don | Asteraceae | Rosmarina sarvaggia | Leaves | As spice. | Sic | [22] | N/A |
| Juniperus communis L. | Cupressaceae | Ginepro, zenéivu, zenéivru, giùpp, anèbri, genebbolo, zinebro, gënébbre, chais | Fruits | To flavor various dishes, and in particular those based on game (e.g., boar), roasted meat and fish | Abr, Cam, Emr, Lig, Lom, Mol, Tus, Pie | [16,17,23,25,27,28,30,33,34,36,43] | Against cough and sore throat, as diuretic and digestive. |
| Juniperus oxycedrus L. | Cupressaceae | Ginepro, zenéivu, zenéivru | Fruits | Abr, Lig | [16,33] | N/A | |
| Juniperus sabina L. | Cupressaceae | Ginepro | Fruits | Abr | [16] | N/A | |
| Laurus nobilis L. | Lauraceae | Alloro, l’uro, eufoggiu, osì, orbàga, lauru, addauru, orbaco, loriè | Leaves | To season boiled chestnuts, roast meats, jellied pork, codfish, sausages, chili peppers and dried figs. Much appreciated as a condiment is the extra virgin olive oil in which rosemary twigs and leaves are left to macerate [43]. | Abr, Bas, Cal; Cam, Emr, Lig, Lom, Sar, Sic, Tus, Pie | [16,17,21,22,23,27,29,33,36,37,38,39,40,43,44,45,46,47,48] | Digestive, gastrointestinal disorders. |
| Lavandula angustifolia Miller | Lamiaceae | Steccadò | Flowers | For flavoring salads and meat. | Pie | [25] | N/A |
| Melissa officinalis L. | Lamiaceae | Melissa, cedroncella | Leaves | For flavoring salads and omelettes. | Abr, Cal, Cam, Emr, Tus | [16,27,34,43,49] | Spasmolytic. |
| Mentha arvensis L. | Lamiaceae | Menta | Leaves | Aromatic herb. | Abr, Cal | [16,38] | N/A |
| Mentha longifolia L. | Lamiaceae | Menta, mëntatre | Leaves | For flavoring salads and omelettes. | Cam, Fvg, Pie | [26,29,31] | N/A |
| Mentha pulegium L. | Lamiaceae | Menta | Leaves | In sauces and fish dishes. | Abr, Cal, Cam, Sic | [16,22,26,45,50] | N/A |
| Mentha spicata L. | Lamiaceae | Menta | Leaves | Flavoring for pancakes, sauces and stewed broad beans. | Abr, Bas, Cam, Sic, Pie | [16,22,26,28,37] | Digestive. |
| Mentha spp. | Lamiaceae | Menta | Leaves | Flavoring of potato ravioli and vegetable pies; fritters. | Lig, Pie | [25,43] | N/A |
| Mentha suaevolens Ehrh. | Lamiaceae | Menta, mentastra | Leaves | To aromatize grilled food, sauces, risotto, soups and salads. | Abr, Sic, Tus | [16,22,27] | Digestive. |
| Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. ssp. insularis (Req.) Greuter | Apiaceae | Leaves | To flavor a kind of black pudding. | Sar | [32] | N/A | |
| Mentha x piperita L. | Lamiaceae | Menta piperita, mintaster | Leaves | Flavoring in salads, soups and risotto. | Tus | [27] | Digestive. |
| Mercurialis annua L. | Euphorbiaceae | Mercurella | Leaves | To aromatize codfish. | Tus | [27] | Aperient. |
| Myrtus communis L. | Myrtaceae | Murtidda, mortedda, mortella, murtuèlla | Leaves | To flavor game meat. | Cal, Lig, Sar | [33,48,50] | Gastrointestinal disorders. |
| Nepeta cataria L. | Lamiaceae | Mentastro | Leaves | Aromatizer for goat meat. | Cam | [51] | N/A |
| Oenanthe pimpinelloides L. | Apiaceae | Prezzemolo selvatico | Leaves | To aromatize boiled chestnuts, pig liver boiled. | Tus | [30] | N/A |
| Olea europaea L. | Oleaceae | Olivo, uivu | Leaves | To flavor meat (rabbit, boar, goat). | Cal, Lig | [33,38] | Blood pressure regulator. |
| Origanum vulgare L. subsp. viridulum (Martrin-Donos) Nyman (=Origanum heracleoticum L.) | Lamiaceae | Rigono, arìgano, harigana janca, rinu | Leaves | To flavor poultry, fish, and other dishes; as a spice in tomato-based sauces or salads. | Bas, Cam, Pie, Sic | [21,22,25,34,37,41,45,46,51] | Appetizer, carminative, depurative, digestive. |
| Origanum vulgare L. subsp. vulgare | Lamiaceae | Origano, orècano, arregano, harigana rossa, cornabuggia, orighen, regano | Leaves | To flavor poultry, fish, and other dishes; as a spice in tomato-based sauces or salads. | Abr, Cal, Cam, Lig, Lom, Tus, Pie | [16,22,23,27,29,33,38,43,44,50,51] | Appetizer, carminative, depurative, digestive, sedative. |
| Papaver rhoeas L. | Papaveraceae | Rosolaccio | Seeds | Flavoring for bread. | Tus | [27] | N/A |
| Phlomis fruticosa L. | Lamiaceae | Sarvia sarvaggia | Leaves | To aromatize meat and pasta flavoring. | Sic | [22] | N/A |
| Pimpinella anisoides V. Brig. | Apiaceae | Ciminu | Leaves | Flavoring for biscuits and taralli. | Cal | [38,49,50] | N/A |
| Pimpinella anisum L. | Apiaceae | Anice, anici, anèsc | Seeds | As flavoring in bread, sweet and dishes of meat. | Abr, Lom | [16,23] | Carminative, digestive. |
| Pinus mugo Turra | Pinaceae | Mügh | Buds | Flavoring dishes of fish and meat. | Lom | [17] | N/A |
| Raphanus raphanistrum L. subsp. raphanistrum | Brassicaceae | Rafano | Roots | To season spaghetti. | Cam | [41] | N/A |
| Rosmarinus officinalis L. (= Salvia rosmarinus Spenn.) | Lamiaceae | Rosmarino, rosamarina, rumaìn, ošmarín, rrosmarinu, tresmarino. | Leaves | Flavoring for meat roasts, potatoes, soups, bread and focaccia. | Abr, Bas, Cal, Cam, Emr, Lig, Lom, Sic, Tus | [16,22,23,26,27,33,37,38,43,44,45,46,47] | Digestive. |
| Rubus idaeus L. | Rosaceae | Mora | Fruits | Flavoring in dishes of meat. | Lom | [23] | Mild laxative. |
| Ruta chalepensis (L.) Savi | Rutaceae | Ruta | Leaves | Flavor for olive brine. | Lig | [43] | N/A |
| Salvia glutinosa L. | Lamiaceae | Salvia selvatica | Leaves | To flavor many dishes: soups, roasts, liver, rolls, beans, tortellini, sauces, etc. | Abr | [16] | Digestive |
| Salvia officinalis L. | Lamiaceae | Salvia, sarvia, addori ri costa | Leaves | To flavor many dishes: soups, roasts, liver, rolls, beans, tortellini, sauces, etc. | Abr, Bas, Cal, Cam, Lig, Lom, Sic, Tus | [16,22,23,27,37,38,43,49,50,51] | Digestive. |
| Salvia pratensis L. | Lamiaceae | Salvia selvatica, erba da osei | Leaves | To flavor many dishes: soups, roasts, liver, rolls, beans, tortellini, sauces, etc. | Abr, Emr, Lom | [16,17,27] | Digestive. |
| Salvia sclarea L. | Lamiaceae | Erva muscatiddara | Leaves | To aromatize various main dishes. | Sic | [22] | N/A |
| Salvia verbenaca L. | Lamiaceae | Cavolo moro | Leaves | To season salads, risotto and beans soups. | Tus | [27] | Digestive. |
| Sambucus nigra L. | Adoxaceae | Pepe di maio, sambucu, sambùch, savùcu | Fruits, flowers | Flavoring for bread, batters. | Cal, Lom, Sic | [23,38,40] | N/A |
| Sanguisorba minor L. | Rosaceae | Salvastrella | Leaves | To season soups and salads. | Tus | [27] | Astringent. |
| Satureja hortensis L. (Lamiaceae) | Lamiaceae | Santoreggia | Leaves | Flavoring. | Emr | [27] | N/A |
| Satureja montana L. subsp. montana | Lamiaceae | Sarapuddu, harihanedda, izzòppu, trombo | Leaves | Aromatizer, for goat meat, omelettes and risotto. | Bas, Cam, Lig, Pie, Tus | [21,25,26,27,33,43,51] | N/A |
| Tanacetum vulgare L. | Asteraceae | Archebüse | Leaves | Flavoring in omelettes and soups. | Pie | [29] | N/A |
| Taraxacum campylodes G.E.Haglund. | Asteraceae | Mourpoursin | Leaves | Pickled in brine and used as flavoring. | Pie | [29] | N/A |
| Teucrium polium L. subsp. capitatum (L.) Arcang. | Lamiaceae | Leaves | Flavoring. | Bas | [21] | N/A | |
| Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. (=Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffmanns. and Link) | Lamiaceae | Tùmmaru | Leaves | To aromatize bread, fish and meat dishes. | Cal, Sic | [22,42,49] | N/A |
| Thymus longicaulis C. Presl (incl. T. serpyllum L.) | Lamiaceae | Timo, peverina, pepolino, serpoul | Leaves | As a condiment for omelettes, meatballs, flans, sauces, stuffed with meat, soups, snails, etc. | Abr, Cam, Lig, Tus, Pie | [16,25,27,28,29,34,43,44] | Digestive. |
| Thymus polytrichus Kern. ex Borbás | Lamiaceae | Érbapeverína | Leaves | Lom | [23] | Digestive. | |
| Thymus pulegioides L. | Lamiaceae | Timo, retümmu, pepolino | Leaves | As Th. longicaulis. | Abr, Lig, Lom, Tus | [16,23,27,33] | Digestive. |
| Thymus spinulosus Ten. | Lamiaceae | Timo | Leaves | Aromatic herb. | Sic | [22] | N/A |
| Thymus spp. | Lamiaceae | Timo | Leaves | Aromatic herb. | Cal, Emr | [27,43] | N/A |
| Thymus vulgaris L. | Lamiaceae | Timo, retümmu, pepolino | Leaves | As Th. longicaulis. | Abr, Lig, Tus | [16,27,33] | N/A |
| Trifolium medium L. | Fabaceae | Trefòl | Flowers | As flavoring in cakes. | Lom | [23] | N/A |
| Trifolium pratense L. | Fabaceae | Trefòl | Flowers | As flavoring in cakes. | Lom | [23] | N/A |
| Ulmus minor L. | Ulmaceae | Olmo | Fruits | As flavoring in salads | Tus | [27] | N/A |