What is Dill: Nutrition Facts, Benefits, and Uses

Dill, also known as dill-weed is a super fragrant and delicious herb that is well-known for its feathery and brittle green leaves. It is a member of the parsley family and has been around for hundreds of years. In fact, in the middle ages it was thought to possess protective qualities. The Ancient Egyptians even believed it could protect them against witchcraft. In Italy, it was seen as a good luck charm and it is even spoken of in the Bible. In fact, Emperor Charlemagne (who was King of the Franks in the Middle Ages) is rumored to have served dill seeds to overindulgent guests so as to calm their stomachs. Dill retains global popularity and is well used in Asian, American, and European cuisine. It is native to West Asia and the Mediterranean region and the US consume 2.5 billion pounds of the herb every year. The word ‘dill’ originates from an ancient Norse word known as ‘dylla’ and when translated into English this means to soothe or lull. It thus has a rich history that has stood the test of time and is a brilliant addition to a myriad of tasty dishes and meals. It is often added to stews, salads, and soups and is packed with amazing nutrients. Dill boasts a grassy taste and has oftentimes been compared to celery, fennel, or anise. It can be purchased both fresh and dry and if you have green fingers, you can even grow your own. Homegrown herbs are a great way to always ensure that you have herbs on hand, and what’s even better is that you will know that they contain no harmful pesticides or chemicals.

So, let’s have a look at the benefits of dill and the various uses for this amazing super herb. It is bound to add fragrance and warmth to many dishes and impress your family and guests alike with its sweet-smelling aromas and leafy charm.

Benefits of Dill

Dill has a number of remarkable benefits and adding it into your meals can add a lot of goodness to your diet. It is packed with macronutrients and is a versatile herb that can be added to an array of dishes. Some of the essential benefits include:

• Boosting your Vitamin, A consumption: Vitamin A has numerous health benefits and is important for healthy skin, reproductive health, eye health, and healthy immune function.
• Adds to your Vitamin C intake: Vitamin C is an important antioxidant and will improve immune function and health. Antioxidants are able to slow down the oxidization process which can damage cells and work towards maintaining amazing cell health. Antioxidants can ward against certain conditions from heart disease to cancer and are thus essential for maintaining ultimate health and wellbeing.
• Dill also offers a great source of fiber which aids healthy digestion and folate which supports cell division and DNA production).
• Dill has also been utilized in Eastern medicine and has been used to treat a number of ailments including kidney problems, coughs, live and gallbladder problems, bronchitis, colds and fever, insomnia, and loss of appetite.

Dill is thus a bit of a superfood when it comes to herbs and its benefits are endless. Adding a little to your dishes can go a long way in enhancing your overall health and added to all of these amazing advantages is the fact that it is super tasty too! Adding dill you’re your sauces, condiments, salads, rice dishes, soups, and stews will enhance your cooking repertoire and delight your palette every single time!

Dill, as we’ve learned, is really pretty Brill!

Uses for Dill

Dill can be used in a variety of delicious meals. Some of our favorite recipes include:

• Dill is a brilliant addition to any potato dish. You can add it to creamy mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, or roast potatoes. You could even add it to your breakfast hash browns. Chop the dill finely (if you are using the fresh variety) and add it once you have cooked your potatoes.
• It’s an amazing pick for yogurt or cream cheese dishes. If you are making tzatziki or a delicious cream cheese topping for your bagel, you will want to add fresh till. This will give your dish a deeper flavor. A dill infused cream cheese is particularly delicious with salmon bagels. Be sure to add a squirt of lemon juice and prepare to delight in the tantalizing flavors that follow.
• Dill is perfect for stews and soups and will add a hearty depth to these dishes. It is traditionally used in cucumber soup and is also perfect for rich stews as it is able to calm the stomach. It thus adds a brilliant aroma to your dishes and can quell any stomach complaints.
• As a beautiful garnish for seafood dishes: Fresh dill makes for a gorgeous garnish and will add elegance and beauty to any plate. It will go very well with lemon juice and various fish including salmon, and trout. Dill is also a perfect choice for making a scrumptious tartar sauce. This is a mayonnaise-based condiment that goes well with a variety of seafood including calamari, shrimp, and hake. Simply mix mayonnaise, pickles, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper and voila, your amazing aioli will be ready to impress your guests.
• Add dill to meat or rice dishes for amazing flavor. You can finely chop up your dill with garlic, onion, and mint and this will give meats like lamb a really deep flavor. Dill is also perfect in an array of rice dishes and can be combined with peppers, onion, garlic, and various herbs and spices.

Fresh Dill vs Dried Dill: What is the Difference?

Most people with a passion for food will argue that the fresh variety of any herb is far more superior than the dried variety. Luckily, fresh dill is readily available at most supermarkets and should be pretty easy to find. Nonetheless, keeping dried herbs in your home is a great way to ensure that they are always readily available and thus dried herbs should not be completely dismissed.

Fresh dill has the added benefit of adding a gorgeous color to your dishes and can make for a beautiful garnish. Dried dill, on the other hand, is darker in color. Fresh dill will be less concentrated than the dried counterpart and thus dried dill is often richer in flavor. Add dried dill a little later in the cooking process unless you want a very aromatic dish. You will also need to use less dried dill than fresh dill as it is stronger in flavor.  If you have dry dill, be sure to keep it in an airtight container so that it retains its flavor. Dried herbs that are left out in the open lose their flavor quickly and might fill up with too much moisture.

If you love dill and always want to have the fresh variety on hand it might be a good idea to grow your own. Dill is easy to grow and needs lots of sunshine and plenty of water. You will need to trim them on the regular and can enjoy fresh dill all summer long. You can easily plant it outside in your garden if you have space, and if you dwell in an apartment you can opt for a herb planter on your balcony or windowsill.

Nutritional Facts

As explored earlier, dill is an array of amazing health benefits and is a brilliant addition to any salad, soup, or stew. 100 grams of fresh dill contains around 43 calories and will offer consumers about 3 and a half grams of protein and a gram of fat. It also contains a number of essential vitamins that are super essential for health and wellbeing. These include:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B6
• Niacin
• Thiamin
• Zinc
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Manganese
• Phosphorous
• Pantothenic Acid