The History of Juniper Berries
What is a Juniper berry?
A juniper berry is not really a berry but a modified seed cone from the Juniper Shrub that grows mostly in the cooler regions of the world. It has been seen up as far as the Arctic. Some species are toxic to humans so it is good not to pick the berries in the wild unless you know your species.
How did it get it’s name ?
For anyone that really wants to get into Latin technical stuff go here.
But the nutshell version is that the word may come from a root old Latin word meaning “reed”.
In some different languages it is,
French = Genivèvre
Dutch = Jenever or Genever
The favorite alcoholic beverage Gin get’s it’s name from the Dutch word for Juniper that invented it in the 17th century.
Interesting notes, are that the girls name's Guinevere, Gwen, and perhaps even Jennifer originated from the this name for the Juniper plant.
 
Jennifer Juniper , popular song by Donovan
Where did it originate?
It has been identified in Egyptian tombs as far back as 1500 AD for medicinal purposes and the Roman empire would grind it and use it as a replacement for pepper which became scarce. It became a popular spice in Northern civilizations like Germany, England and Scandanavia to flavor food and drinks.
How did they start using it?
The first use of juniper berries as with most herbs was for medicinal purposes.
I certainly can not say what exactly it is used for but it sounds like it is used for so many
discomforts and illness.
Here are some good sites to study this.
This is according to the WebMD site
Juniper is used for digestion problems including upset stomach, intestinal gas (flatulence), heartburn, bloating, and loss of appetite, as well as gastrointestinal (GI) infections and intestinal worms. It is also used for urinary tract infections (UTIs) and kidney and bladder stones. Other uses include treating snakebite, diabetes, and cancer.
Read more here
Some medicinal herbalists use Juniper in their treatments for kidneys and other ailments and you can read about it's use here.
To Keep Witches Out
It was a practice in medieval times to plant a juniper tree next to your front door.
In order for a witch to break through the barrier they had to guess the number of needles
on the tree.
This was my restaurant in the 90's and as you can see,
the witch is truly scared of the Juniper tree there.
The Romans used it as a supplement or even replacement for black pepper when it was scarce.
For centuries it was used to flavor wild game and vegetables like sauerkraut.
Some famous dishes that use it are
Sauerbraten which is a German style Pot Roast and Choucroute Garni an Alsatian dish
that uses sauerkraut mixed with
How do you cook with it ?
Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto
Recipes:
Juniper Chicken
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This was a favorite in our restaurant and simple to make.
I named this dish because our restaurant in Bend, Oregon had beautiful high desert landscapes with beautiful Juniper, which I love the look and scent of.
I have expanded on the recipe using actual ground juniper berries to season the chicken. Also instead of the aneheim chilies I use Hatch.
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Links
Juniper berries Traditional Medicine and Food Use
The Spruce Eats (basic knowledge)
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