regnum-plantae:

Humulus lupulus, Cannabaceae

Common hop is one of the most typical native climbing plants growing in wild hedgerows around my hometown in northern Italy. I love to rub the resinous female flower cones -known as hops- between my fingers when I walk past one of these plants, and smell the savoury aromatic oils, which are very persistent!

These oils are what make this plant an important crop for the brewing industry, as they are essential to give most beers the flavour we are used to. In certain parts of nothern Italy the young shoots are cooked and eaten pretty much like asparagus. I’ve never tried them, but I’ve heard from people around my grandparents’ age that they were popular when they were kids.  

The cultivar ‘Aureus’, with yellow or bright green leaves, is cultivated as an ornamental in the UK. 

dailyplantfacts:

Humulus lupulus is in the family Cannabaceae. Commonly known as hops, it is native to Europe and Asia. Hops are best known as a flavoring and preserving agent in beer. The first recorded use of hops was over 1000 years ago in Europe, and it’s use in beermaking has been essential ever since. The flowers of the hops plants, arranged in cones, are added to the fermenting beer to impart bitterness and citrus-like flavors. Hops also help to keep the beer longer, and prevent spoiling due to antibacterial compounds released by the hops flowers. This property of hops was observed by English brewers centuries ago, who began to add extra hops to their beers so it would stay fresh during the shipment to far away British colonies. This new style of extra bitter beer was called the India Pale Ale in reference to the long voyage from the brewery to the colonies.