Curry plant (Helichrysum italicum): traditional uses in the kitchen and for the skin

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The curry plant smells of warm spice but has nothing to do with the curry powder jar. It is a silver-leaved Mediterranean shrub whose young leaves season chicken, rice and fish, and whose golden flowers are distilled into one of the best-known essential oils in aromatherapy. Here is what each part is good for, how to prepare it, and when to leave it alone.

What it is credited with

• Bumps and knocks. The diluted essential oil has a long-standing reputation in aromatherapy for massaging over bruised, tender areas of unbroken skin.
• Tired legs and circulation. Herbalists traditionally use gentle massage with the diluted oil on legs that feel heavy at the end of the day.
• Aching joints and muscles. In traditional Mediterranean practice, the flowering tops were macerated in oil and rubbed into stiff shoulders, backs and knees.
• Everyday skin care. Naturopathy credits curry plant lotion with a place in routines for blemish-prone or reddened skin — a use traced back to the plant’s ancient reputation as a beauty herb.
• Dry, chapped skin. Traditionally applied, well diluted, to skin roughened by cold and wind.
• After a heavy meal. The flower infusion is traditionally drunk to settle a full, uncomfortable stomach.
• Stuffy breathing. Steam inhalation with a drop or two of the essential oil has a folk reputation for making the airways feel clearer.
• Winding down. A few drops in a warm bath are traditionally used at the end of a tense day.
• In the house. Dried branches are hung in cupboards and rooms for their warm, long-lasting scent.

How to use it

In the kitchen

• Pick a few young leaves just before cooking — the aroma fades fast once cut.
• Add them in the last minutes of cooking, not at the start, or the flavour turns bitter.
• Good with roast chicken, rice, white fish, potatoes, tomato sauces, omelettes and marinades.
• Remove whole sprigs before serving, as you would with a bay leaf.
• Use sparingly: the taste is resinous and quickly dominates a dish.

The flower infusion

• Drop a small handful of fresh or dried flowering tops into a pot of just-boiled water.
• Cover and steep about ten minutes, then strain.
• Drink warm after a meal, or chill it in the fridge for a few hours and drink it cold in hot weather.
• Traditionally taken as a short course of a few days rather than every day all year.

The essential oil, always diluted

• Never apply it neat. Mix a few drops into a spoonful of a carrier oil — argan, sweet almond, apricot kernel or olive.
• Massage gently over the area, on intact skin only, once or twice a day for a short period.
• For a bath, disperse the drops in a little milk, bath base or carrier oil first, as essential oils do not mix with water.
• For inhalation, add a drop or two to a bowl of hot water, lean over with a towel and breathe with the eyes closed.
• Patch test on the inner forearm and wait a day before using it more widely.

A home macerated oil

• Harvest flowering tops in early summer to midsummer, on a dry morning once the dew has gone.
• Let them wilt a day, pack them into a clean jar and cover completely with olive or sunflower oil.
• Leave on a sunny windowsill for three to four weeks, shaking every few days, then strain into a dark bottle.
• Use as a massage oil; keep cool and dark and make a fresh batch each year.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: use the young leaves freely in cooking, and the essential oil only heavily diluted in a carrier oil, on intact skin.

Is the curry plant the same thing as curry powder?

No. Curry powder is a spice blend usually based on curcuma, coriander and cumin. The curry plant is a Mediterranean shrub of the daisy family that simply smells like it. Its young leaves make a delicate, aromatic substitute, added at the very end of cooking.

Can I eat the leaves?

Yes, as a seasoning. Add a few young leaves or a whole sprig in the last minutes of cooking, then lift the sprig out before serving. Use a light hand — the flavour is resinous and turns bitter if overdone or cooked too long.

How do I dilute the essential oil?

Mix a few drops into a spoonful of vegetable oil such as argan, sweet almond or apricot kernel, then massage gently over the area. For a bath, disperse the drops in milk or a bath base first. It should never go on the skin neat, and never be swallowed.

When should I harvest the flowers?

Cut the flowering tops in early summer to midsummer, on a dry morning once the dew has lifted and the sun has warmed the plant. Use them fresh for an infusion or oil maceration, or hang the stems upside down in a shaded, airy place to dry.

Who should avoid it?

Pregnant and breastfeeding women, babies and young children, and anyone on blood-thinning medication or with a bleeding disorder should not use the essential oil. People allergic to the daisy family should patch test first. If you take regular medication, check with a healthcare professional before use.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.