The Uses of Thyme
The use of thyme has a long history. Sumerian cuneiform records dating back to 2000 BCE provide evidence that thyme was cultivated in the area that is modern-day Iraq. In ancient Egypt, thyme was used in embalming the dead, and the Romans cultivated the plant for its use in beekeeping, to purify rooms, and for its culinary uses. The ancient Greeks used the herb—dedicated to Aphrodite—as incense, i.e., in their temples. The word thyme can possibly be traced back to the Greek word θύω (thúō) meaning to smoke. Thyme had a reputation for having powerful protective and healing properties, and both the Romans and the Greeks had the custom of placing thyme under the beds of women who were about to give birth to ensure the mother and child’s health.
From antiquity, well into medieval times, thyme symbolized strength, courage, and bravery. During antiquity, the togas of generals were often embroidered with the image of thyme, and women in the Middle Ages would do the same with scarves that they gave to knights who were about to go into battle to give them strength and courage.
As in antiquity, thyme was well known in Europe for its protective properties as it was said to ward off witches, evil spirits, and bad luck. Thyme was a plant that was often included in burials as people, particularly in medieval England, believed that it contained the souls of the dead.
There are accounts in European folklore that the use of wild thyme in ointments would enable the user to see the Little People, provided the thyme was gathered near places where they lived. One of these places was patches of wild thyme. In Britain and Ireland, it was said that planting thyme around one’s house would attract the Fair Folk and bring harmony to the home.
On days such as St Agnes’ Eve (21 January), St Luke’s Day (18 October), and Midsummer, young women would sometimes place specific flowers and herbs, including thyme, under their pillows in the hope of dreaming about their future spouse that night.
Much like its cultural use, thyme has a long medicinal history. Virgil listed the herb as a treatment for fatigue, thyme oil was inhaled to combat tuberculosis, and the 17th-century botanist, herbalist, and physician Nicholas Culpeper recommended the use of thyme as a cure for nightmares.
The most important active components of thyme are tannins and essential oils containing carvacrol (antimicrobial) and thymol (antiseptic and deworming properties). Thyme is soothing, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, mucolytic, aids digestion, and can relieve cramps. Its active components leave the body via the lungs which makes thyme—consumed as tisane or inhalant—useful when treating respiratory ailments such as coughs, bronchitis, and inflammations in the respiratory system. It can also be used as a gargle for inflammations in the mouth and throat. It can aid with gastrointestinal complaints, and—due to its antispasmodic and pain-relieving properties—it can help with menstrual cramps. However, thyme and medicinal products containing thyme (i.e., cough syrup) should be used only in small quantities or not at all in the case of small children, pregnancy, and when allergic to plants of the Labiatae family (which includes, next to thyme, mint, deadnettle, sage, lavender and more), birch pollen, or celeriac.
Disclaimer: Many medicinal plants are safe to use. Yet, if in doubt regarding the use of certain plants i.e. in the case of chronic illnesses or medical conditions, pregnancy, allergies, or interactions with any medications you might be taking, consult a medical professional.
Lemon and Thyme Cake
Based on Bianca Zapatka’s Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake and Prue Leith’s Lemon & Thyme Bundt.
Ingredients
For the cake
240ml plant-based milk (soy, pea, or cashew for the best result, but oat and almond milk work, too)
1 big or two small lemons (juice and zest)
300g flour
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
150g sugar
125ml oil (i.e., sunflower or rapeseed)
1 pinch of vanilla (alternatively 1 tsp vanilla extract)
4 tbsp (fresh) thyme leaves
For the syrup
Juice of 2 lemons
100g sugar
A small bunch of thyme
For the icing
100-150g icing sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
Steps
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a loaf tin. Line the tin with baking paper.
Mix the plant-based milk with lemon juice and set the mixture aside.
Mix flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, and salt in a big bowl.
Create a well in the middle of the dry mixture and add the curdled milk, oil, vanilla, thyme, and lemon zest into it. Mix everything but make sure not to over-mix it since the cake won’t be as fluffy.
Pour the batter into the tin and flatten the surface and bake the cake for 15 minutes. Then, cut it in the middle along its length and bake for another 35 minutes (approximately) or until you can stick a wooden skewer into its middle and it comes out clean. If the cake gets too dark during the baking, cover it with some tin foil.
While the cake bakes, make the syrup: Pour the juice of two lemons into a saucepan. Add the sugar and bring it to a boil. Add the thyme and turn the heat down.
Let the syrup simmer for 10 minutes and pour it through a sieve into a bowl to let it cool.
When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool down in its tin for 10-15 minutes and then flip it onto a wire rack.
Use a skewer to prick holes in the surface of the cake and brush it with the lemon-thyme syrup. Allow the syrup to sink into the cake before adding more, then leave the cake to cool completely.
For the icing, add the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon juice bit by bit (you might not need all of it). The mixture should be thick but pourable.
Spoon the icing over the cake. Decorate the cake to your liking.
Cover photo and photo of lemon and thyme cake by Merle Emrich.
Thyme by Anja Junghans.
Sources
Düll, R. & H. Kutzelnigg (1992) Botanisch-ökologisches Exkursionstaschenbuch, Quelle & Meyer: Wiesbaden.
Frohn, Birgit (2007) Lexikon der Heilpflanzen und ihrer Wirkstoffe, Weltbild: Augsburg.
Medikamente per Klick (n.d.) Thymian
National Records of Scotlans (n.d.) Hairy Thyme
Our Herb Garden (n.d.) Thyme
Spooky Isles (2023) Thyme: 10 Supernatural Uses and Folklore