More Herbs, Less Salt Day: Peru's Romero Tradition

August 29 has its own small holiday: More Herbs, Less Salt Day. It's not a big one, no parades or sales, but the idea behind it is worth taking seriously. Most people in the US eat far more sodium than they need, and the fix isn't always a bland plate. It's usually a better spice rack.

Peruvian kitchens figured this out a long time ago, and rosemary, known locally as romero, is one of the herbs they leaned on hardest.

Why Less Salt Actually Matters

The American Heart Association recommends adults keep sodium under 2,300 milligrams a day, and no more than 1,500 milligrams for people managing blood pressure. Most people blow past that number without noticing, since a lot of sodium hides in processed food rather than the salt shaker itself. The AHA's own advice for cutting back isn't to eat less flavor. It's to swap salt for citrus, garlic, vinegar, and herbs.

Rosemary sits right at the center of that swap list, and it's been part of Peruvian cooking and home remedies for generations, even though the plant itself, Rosmarinus officinalis, isn't native to South America. It came over from the Mediterranean long ago and simply never left.

How Peruvian Kitchens Actually Use It

Romero shows up in roasted potatoes, grilled meats, and bean stews across Peru, usually thrown in whole and pulled out before serving. A few sprigs added early in cooking release enough aroma to make a dish taste finished without a heavy hand on the salt. It's a technique any home cook can borrow: add dried rosemary to the oil or broth at the start of cooking, not the end, so the flavor has time to spread through the whole dish.

Beyond the kitchen, dried rosemary leaves are also brewed as a tea, a tradition that predates most of the cooking uses. A cup after a heavy meal is a common habit in Andean households, valued for settling the stomach as much as for the taste.

How to Brew It

Use about one teaspoon of dried rosemary per cup of hot water. Steep five to seven minutes, covered, then strain. The flavor is sharp and a little piney, closer to what you'd expect from smelling the fresh herb than most other teas in an Andean pantry. Some people mix in a little lemon balm or mint to soften the edge.

A Simple Way to Try It

Papas al romero, potatoes roasted with rosemary, is one of the easiest ways to test this out. Toss cubed potatoes in a little oil, scatter a spoonful of dried rosemary over them along with crushed garlic, and roast until the edges brown. No salt needed until the very end, and even then, a small pinch goes further than you'd expect once the rosemary has had time in the oven. The same trick works with grilled chicken or a pot of beans: add the herb early, taste before you salt, and adjust from there.

A Word on Salt Substitutes

Herbs like rosemary don't replace salt one for one in every recipe, salt does things to texture and preservation that flavor alone can't fix. But for everyday seasoning, where the goal is taste rather than food science, herbs get you most of the way there. Start by cutting the salt in a recipe by half and adding a pinch more rosemary, oregano, or garlic to fill the gap. Most people don't notice the difference after a week or two.

Romero and Rosemary Are the Same Plant

Romero shows up on Peruvian spice labels and in grandmother's recipes, while English-language wellness sites tend to stick with rosemary. If you're shopping and see romero on a package, it's worth knowing that's exactly what you're looking for, not a separate or unfamiliar herb. The two names describe the same dried leaves, just from two different kitchen traditions that happen to share the plant.

Who should be cautious: Rosemary in food amounts is considered safe for most people, but concentrated rosemary supplements or oils can act as a mild diuretic and may not be appropriate during pregnancy. Anyone on blood pressure medication or blood thinners should mention rosemary tea to their doctor if drinking it regularly, since some early research suggests it may have a mild effect on blood pressure and clotting. As always, food-level use in cooking is a different matter than concentrated extracts.

You can find loose leaf Rosemary (Romero) for both the kitchen and the kettle, plus more sodium-friendly options in our digestive health collection and the broader general wellness collection.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.