An herb belonging to the composite plant family, which includes daisies, dandelions, marigolds and sunflowers. The silvery, fragrant costmary leaves have a minty, lemony character. They're used in salads, and as a flavouring in soups, veal and chicken dishes and sausages. Costmary is also called alecost (because it was used in making ale), Bible leaf (because its long leafs were used as book markers) and mint geranium.