How to cook lemon balm

A member of the mint family, lemon balm imparts a strong lemony flavor to foods. Use it in fruit or vegetable salads, to garnish fish, or to freshen drinks. Lemon balm can stand in for lemon peel in most recipes. In ancient times it was used to “balm” (comfort) wounds and to flavor alcoholic beverages such as claret and mead. It even served as one of the first “air fresheners”, during the Middle Ages it was strewn onto floors and when walked on would release its lemon scent.