All About Dill | Know Your Spice Sowa or Soya (Anethum graveolens)

Dill (Anethum graveolens) also known as Dillweed or Shatapushpa, Sowa or Soya is a herbaceous annual with pinnately divided leaves.

The ripe, light brown seeds emit an aromatic odour. The leaves have pleasant aromatic odour and warm taste.

Both the dried fruits (misnamed dill seeds) and the fresh or dried aerial parts (dillweed) are used. Fresh dillweed herb is much more aromatic than the dried one.

Dillweed originated in southern Russia, the Mediterranean, and Western Africa. It has been used as a medicinal herb for at least 5,000 years.

It is referred to in the Bible in Matthew by its original Greek name Anethum, and was used in the Middle Ages by magicians against witchcraft.

The name is derived from the old Norse word dilla, meaning to lull or soothe, referring to the carminative properties.

In addition to the magical powers attributed to the herb in ancient times, it was considered a palliative of stomach pains.

The Ancient Egyptians used dillweed as a soothing medicine, and it was also used in aphrodisiacs and to ward off witches. The Greeks used it as a symbol of wealth.

The Romans believed that dillweed brought good fortune. The Romans also used the leaves in the wreaths they made to recognize athletes and heroes.

In ancient times soldiers would apply burnt dill seeds to wounds to help them heal.

Dillweed has been found in the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep II, dating to around 1400 BC.

It was also later found in the Greek city of Samos, around the 7th century BC, and mentioned in the writings of Theophrastus (371–287 BC).

In 1525 Bankes’ Herbal said that “dill assuageth wicked winds in the womb” (meaning the stomach).

In the 1627 play Nymphidia by Michael Drayton, the herb is mentioned in the following lines:

‘Therewith her Vervain and her Dill,
That hindereth Witches of their Will.’

• Dillweed is widely used in food and the food industry in order to flavor foods and beverages.
• Seeds and leaves of the herb are essential for flavoring and seasoning of salads, dips, pickled vegetables, seafood dishes, soups, sour cream, meats, sauces, and cream cheese.
• The food industry uses the essential oil, extracted from both leaves and seeds, in candies, pickles, chewing gums, etc. as flavoring agent.
• Its essential oils have significant antifungal effect during the storage of foods.
• The seeds are a common and very effective household remedy for a wide range of digestive problems.
• Decoction of leaves and seeds are introduced in a carminative, diuretic, and antiemetic formula.
• Pickled seeds with vinegar are prescribed for nausea treatment as a gastro tonic agent.
• The essential oils extracted from the plant are extensively used in perfumery, as perfuming agents and in cosmetics.
• Russian cosmonauts recommend its use in human spaceflight due to the confined quarters and closed air supply for its antiflatulent benefits.

It has a deliciously fresh, citrus-like taste, with a slightly grassy undertone. It’s trademark subtle sweetness means it works particularly well with garlic and mint.

The herb flavour is reminiscent of caraway or anise.

Store the dillweed in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. It should last up to a week and perhaps even longer. Fresh dillweed sprigs can be frozen for up to two months.

To successfully store fresh sprigs, spray whole stems lightly with water, wrap loosely in kitchen (paper) towels, and place in a sealed zip-top plastic bag in a refrigerator.

Tarragon works wonderfully well as a substitute for dillweed. Replace fresh for fresh and dry for dried in recipes. Some more substitutes are:

• The feathery fronds of fresh fennel can be used to flavour soups, stews & garnish.
• For seeds, you can try explore seeds as an alternative. They also have a strong aroma and taste akin to anise seeds, which is similar to dill.
•  You can use thyme as well to flavour many of the same times of dishes for which dillweed would be used.

Dried dillweed and seeds can be found in the spice section of the grocery store. Look for bunches of fresh dillweed in the produce or fresh herb section.

It is also available online via Amazon & other portals.

The following are health benefits of Shatapushpa, Sowa or Soya.

• Health Benefits of Shatapushpa as an Antioxidant – Antioxidants are naturally occurring compounds that help protect cells against damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals.
• Health Benefits of Dill for Heart Health – Flavonoids, like those found in dillweed, have been shown to protect heart health due to their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Health Benefits of Shatapushpa against Diabetes – Dillweed has been suggested to have blood-sugar-lowering effects.
• Health Benefits of Dill against Cancer – As the herb is high in monoterpenes, particularly d-limonene, it may have anticancer properties.
• Health Benefits of Shatapushpa for Bone Health – The herb contains calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus — all of which are important for bone health
• Health Benefits of Dill for Digestion – The anti-flatulent property of fresh herb sprigs reduces the formation of gas in the alimentary canal, thus reducing bloating, flatulence, and abdominal distension.
• Health Benefits of Shatapushpa against Insomnia – The abundance of flavonoids and B-complex vitamins in the leaves make it a one-stop natural remedy for insomnia.

Note: Sometimes consuming dillweed in excess quantities can show some allergic reactions including diarrhea, vomiting