Lovage: An Underestimated Herb for the Food Industry

In a world where consumers are increasingly wary of artificial ingredients, many of us are turning back to our kitchens, cooking more from scratch and looking for natural alternatives to flavor enhancers. One herb that is often overlooked but deserves a place in both home kitchens and food product development is lovage.

What Is Lovage?

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a perennial herb that belongs to the parsley, carrot, and celery family. With its tall stature and deeply cut leaves, it looks a bit like oversized celery tops—and its flavor profile is just as striking. Often described as salty and celery-like with a hint of umami, lovage acts as a natural flavor enhancer, making it a powerful tool for cooks and food manufacturers alike.

Why Lovage Deserves More Attention

Many commercial foods rely on artificial flavor enhancers to achieve depth of flavour. However, lovage offers a natural alternative that fits perfectly into the growing demand for transparency and natural ingredients. Just a leaf or two, finely chopped can bring a depth of flavour to your recipes.

If you are a product developer, consider experimenting with lovage in place of artificial flavour enhancers. Its bold taste works particularly well in broth bases, ready meals, and plant-based dishes that benefit from extra depth of flavour.

Growing Lovage at Home: Abundant and Low-Maintenance

We’ve grown lovage both in pots and directly in the garden, and even a single plant yields more than enough for the home kitchen. It’s a hardy, vigorous grower—just keep snipping the young leaves as needed, and it will keep producing fresh, flavorful foliage throughout the summer. Lovage truly rewards even minimal care with a generous, ongoing harvest.

Using Lovage in the Kitchen

Because lovage is so strong, a little goes a long way. Start with one or two leaves per dish and adjust to taste. The leaves, stems, and even seeds are all usable. Here are a few practical ways to make the most of it:

• Dry the leaves for use throughout winter.
• Make homemade stock cubes: Simmer several handfuls of chopped lovage leaves and stems in 2 litres of water for 40 minutes. Boil to reduce the liquid, allow it to cool, and freeze in ice cube trays. You can further enhance the flavour  by adding other vegetables and herbs.

A Ready-Made Option

While I rarely mention specific products, one staple in our pantry is Dr. Coy’s Vegetable Bouillon for soups and stews and it happens to include lovage among its ingredients.

Summary

Lovage may not be the most well-known herb, but its bold flavour and natural properties make it a valuable addition to both home-cooked meals and commercial food products. Whether you’re cooking for your family or developing the next generation of clean-label foods, why not give lovage a try.