Dittany of Crete

Dittany has always been highly prized and is gathered while in bloom in the summer months and is exported for use in pharmaceuticals, perfumery and to flavour drinks such as vermouth and absinthe.

The collection of Dittany of Crete used to be a dangerous occupation for the men who risked life and limb to climb precarious rock faces where the plant grows wild in the mountains of Crete. The men who were known as Erondades travelled around the island to find the prized Dittany. They worked like rock climbers in teams with ropes and long sticks. They basically had to dangle over the edge of cliffs while one team mate held the rope and another warned of jagged jutting rocks. Their rewards for collecting the elusive herb were quite high as Dittany was and still is a rare herb that only grows wild in Crete. The Venetians during their occupation of Crete tried to transport the plant back to Italy but it would not thrive. So Crete remained the only source of Dittany of Crete.

Through the ages the demand for Dittany from overseas increased and eventually outweighed its availability. At one time Dittany could command a price as high as gold and demand threatened its eradication. It therefore began to be cultivated in earnest in the 1920s to supply the ever increasing demand.

Cultivation now centres on the area south of Heraklion in the foothills of Mount Dikti around Embaros and the surrounding villages that became known as Villages of Dittany (Erondochoria).The bulk of exports go to Italy as one of the ingredients in vermouth.

Today the wild naturally grown Dittany of Crete is classed as "rare" and is protected by European law so that it does not become extinct.

Mount Dikti

In a national newspaper supplement article (Traiou 2000) about Mount Psiloreitis in Crete Avramakis discusses the endemic Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamus).  

Few plants in Greece have come to be identified so much with a place as dittany has been identified with Crete. Dittany (Origanum dictamus) is a native plant of Crete and grows wild on virtually every mountain of the island. Every one of its many names—Erontas, Stomachochorto, Malliarochorto, Stamatochorto, Artemidion —tells one of the many stories that accompany this plant. The persistent popularity of Dittany was, in addition, the reason why its populations today have been significantly reduced. The Red Book of Plants of Greece it is characterized as “rare.”

 

Today it is grown commercially, primarily in the village of Ebaro, thereby providing an opportunity for its natural populations to recover and allowing Dittany to continue to remain the symbol of Cretan nature. (Avramakis 2000)

In this article Avramakis makes mention of just some of the local names given to Dittany of Crete. He mentions Erontas, Stomachochorto, Malliarochorto, Stamatochorto and Artemidion but there are many more.

Names of Dittany of Crete

·        Eronda

The name Erontas or Eronda meaning "love" is probably derived from the Greek god of love Eros, son of Aphrodite (Cupid was his Roman counterpart). It may also refer to the presumed aphrodisiac nature of the plant. Eronda is also said to be the name given to Dittany of Crete as gatherers of this plant needed a real lust and passion to collect the elusive herb from the dangerous and precarious cliff faces it grows on.

·        Stomachochorto

Stomachochorto literally translates as "herb of the stomach" and refers to the herbs ability to aid stomach complaints.

·        Malliarochorto

Malliarochorto means "herb of the hair" and refers to the fine hairy down that covers the stem and leaves of the plant. It could also refer to the reputed "cure for baldness" qualities given to Dittany.

·        Stamatochorto

Stamatochorto translates as "herb that stops" and refers to the ability the plant has to stop bleeding.

·        Stomatochorto

Stamatochorto translates as "herb of the mouth" and refers to the treatment of mouth ulcers or other ailments relating to the mouth.

·        Livanochorto

Livanochorto means "herb of incense" and refers to the fragrance of the plant.

·        Artemidion

The name Artemidion derives from the Greek goddess Artemis to whom the herb was dedicated.

·        Diktamnon

Diktamnon refers to the Cretan goddess Diktynna with whom the herb was associated with.

·        Origanum dictamus

Origanum dictamus is the Latin name of the plant and Origanum most likely derives from two Greek words, which mean joy of the mountains. The word dictamnus is again a blending of two words – the first part refers to Mount Dikti in Crete and thamnos translates as shrub. 

·        Dittanie of Candie

Dittanie of Candie is the old English form of language and spelling with Candie being the name given to Crete and used by John Gerard, the 17th century English botanist and others around that time period.

The Future

Luckily cultivation of Dittany has meant that any future demand can be met without endangering the special plant.

With a return to seeking more natural remedies for health and for beauty, Dittany of Crete has become very popular with producers of natural beauty products. Anti ageing creams with anti wrinkle action are being produced right here on the Greek Island of Crete, using extracts of Dittany and the famous health giving Cretan olive oil. Bioselect Beauty Remedies are the leading producer of natural hair, body and skin care utilising the benefits of Dittany in Crete.      

As herbal teas are becoming more popular with people wanting to aid their health and wellbeing in a natural way drinking Dittany as an infusion is increasingly becoming a firm favourite.