Dill is easy to recognize by its fine, needle-like soft leaves. The dill plant originates from the plant family of umbellifers, like fennel and chervil. Verstegen’s dill is made of the tops of dill plants that are not quite ripe yet, as these fresh, unripe tops provide the finest flavour.
They are dried as soon as possible after harvesting in order to preserve their delicate flavour. Add dill as the final ingredient to a dish. Do not boil dill as it will lose its taste.
The dill plant grows well in warm regions in the northern hemisphere. Originally from Southern Europe, dill is now also increasingly grown in the Middle East and North and South America. Verstegen gets its products from the place of origin and that is why our dill comes from Germany.
Dill belongs to the same family as parsley, caraway, anise and cumin. Dill tips taste like parsley and aniseed because they have a warm, sweet bouquet.
Because of the rich taste of the plant, in addition to the tips of the dill plant, also the seeds are processed as a spice. The seed has a stronger taste and may even be a little bitter. The seeds can be recognized by their oval shape. They are spherical with three ribs on one side and flat with two ribs on the other side.
Dill is not only an excellent accompaniment to fish dishes, it can also be used in many other ways. For example, dill in a vegetarian stew gives a sweet aroma and can be used to flavour soups. Please note that the dill leaves must not be added until the last moment. By boiling dill, it will lose its taste. That’s why it is often used to garnish a dish.
