The article also mentioned a former staple of the Roman dinner table called lovage; this herb is still commonly used in Romanian cooking where it is known as leuștean. It's quite tasty if you ever get the chance.
Colloquially the herb was often called "maggi-plant", because it smells very much like the popular Maggi seasoning product (also called Maggi Aroma), which itself actually does not contain any lovage.
Since Maggi seasoning has been popular/convenient in kitchens throughout Europe (and beyond), for more than 50 years, the decline in use of lovage might be in part attributed the popularity of Maggi seasoning.
However, that's of course pure speculation.
Growing it in my garden as it's not in any of the UK supermarkets.
[1] https://www.mathem.se/varor/machesallat/sallad-mache-70g-kla...
It's certainly available, but not as popular as other types of lettuce such as iceberg, romaine or cosmopolitan. To the point that I didn't know what it was and always looked past it before living in Belgium.
It should not be confused with a different herb, called ajwain, whose seeds are sometimes sold as lovage in shops which sell indian spices, where you can also buy hing, which is asafoetida, the silphium substitute.