Rosemary

Rosemary is the herb of absolute thermal resistance. Its resin-gorged needles, rich in rosmarinic acid and pinene, can face temperatures exceeding 200°C without disintegrating. Tossed onto the glowing embers of a barbecue, its essential oils volatilize and coat meats in a dense aromatic smoke (hot smoking). Its extraction requires either an extremely heated fat or the use of alcohol (infusion for sauces) to dissolve its powerful camphorated resins.