Other Names: Menevşe, Benefşe, Viola, Violet, Violette
Botanical Information: It is a perennial plant from the Violet family, 10-40cm tall. Violet is a plant that takes many different shapes depending on the soil and climate where it grows. The flowers of the same plant may bloom differently. The trunk is round, quite often bifurcated. The lower leaves are heart-shaped, the middle leaves are oval and the upper leaves are spear-shaped, with notched edges, dark green color, the lower leaves are long and the upper leaves are short-stemmed. Its flowers are lilac or purple in color. The Latin name of the violet flower is tricolor, meaning three colors. Its seeds are egg or pear-shaped and have a white spot on the upper side. Fragrant violet can be grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, as it grows spontaneously in nature, especially under trees and in forested areas in moist places, and spreads wherever it is located and covers the soil well.
Places where it is grown: The plant, which is native to the Mediterranean countries, the Caucasus, the Balkans and Turkey, grows easily in almost every region of Turkey.
Known Composition: Contains fragrant violet saponin, menthyl salicylate, alkaloids, flavonoids and essential oil.
Where is it used: Its fragrant flower is used in pastry and confectionery, as well as in the perfume industry. It is eaten raw by putting it in salads.
Violet Bulgur Pilaf: I cannot leave you here without sharing a recipe from my childhood. 4-5 fresh violets (flower-stems) are thoroughly washed and cleaned and added to the pot along with mint while cooking bulgur pilaf. After the rice is cooked, you can remove the flowers if you wish. When you try it, you will see that it gives a wonderful taste and smell to rice.
Collection and Storage: From May to October, violet grass is collected, dried and stored in shade and cool places.
Benefits:
It has a healing effect on urinary tract infections.
It has a healing effect on eczema, acne and other skin problems.
It has positive effects against headaches, nervousness and insomnia.
It softens the chest and removes phlegm.
It is healing and soothing in cases of cold, angina, whooping cough, cough and bronchitis.
How to Use: Pour 1 glass of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of leaf, stem and flower mixture and let it brew for 10-15 minutes. Drink a glass of this tea three times a day.
