Oregano is known as Joy of the mountains. One of the most versatile culinary herbs used worldwide in its dry flavorful form. Its distinctive flavour is an important part of Italian and Greek cuisines & is mainly used in Pizza toppings, Sauces, roasted / fried Meat, Pasta, salads and stews. The dried and ground leaves are most often used in Greece to add flavor to Greek salad. It is used alongside Thyme, Basil and Parsley.
With its sweet peppery taste, Basil is often referred to as ‘The King of Herbs’. It is a staple of Italian cooking and widely used in pasta, sauces, Pesto dips, marinades, pizzas and herbal teas. It is well known to aid digestion. Recently seen to be used in innovative products like chocolates, strawberry and lemon sorbets. Basil works will in flavors of Oregano and Rosemary.
Parsley is widely used in European, Middle Eastern, and American cuisine as a garnish on potato dishes (boiled or mashed potatoes), on rice dishes (risotto or pilaf), on fish, fried chicken, lamb, goose, and steaks, as well in meat or vegetable stews. Many dishes are served with fresh green chopped parsley sprinkled on top. Parsley is a source of flavonoids and antioxidants.
Thyme is aromatic, warm and pungent and is an important part of Bouquet Garni and Herbes de Provence. A spice you can add to any dish without thinking twice. It’s commonly used to season soups, cheese, sauces, meat and pastas. The sprigs are used to flavour oils and vinegars or to garnish cocktails. Before the advent of modern antibiotics, oil of thyme was used to medicate bandages. It’s commonly used to season soups, cheese, sauces, meat and pastas. Its flavor blends best with rosemary, sage and marjoram.
The taste is fragrant, spicy, warm, astringent and a little bitter. Used in fish and poultry marinates, sausages, meatballs and stews and casseroles. In the UK and USA it is an essential part of stuffing for roast chicken and turkey, while in Italy, Sage is used in the traditional Saltimbocca. In Egypt, it is commonly used as a flavor for hot black tea, or boiled and served as an herbal drink. Used alongside parsley, savory, thyme, marjoram, rosemary and basil. It also blends well with garlic, onion, oregano and parsley.
Spear Mint has fresh, sweet flavour and cool aftertaste widely used both in sweet and savoury dishes, confectionery products etc. It is widely used in Indian dishes like Raita, chutneys, aam panna etc. In the Middle East, UK and USA it is associated with Lamb in the form of a marinade, sauce or jelly. For sweet dishes, it can be used to garnish fruit salads and ice cream, and in smoothie. It is added to poultry, sauces and herbal tea. Well known to treat irritable bowel syndrome
It is also known as Chinese parsley or dhania, and in the United States the stems and leaves are usually called cilantro. They taste refreshing and have sweet citrusy flavor with floral aroma. Its strong, distinctive flavour makes it ideal for sprinkling on salads or on cooked dishes such as Indian Dal, and for use as an ingredient in Mexican dips such as Salsa and Guacamole and Indian Raita, in marinades and sauces, Thai and other curries, Tagines, Chillies and Chutneys. Coriander leaves are also sometimes used in Breads and Naans, in stuffing, or with fruits such as Mango or Grapefruit.
Dill is an herbaceous annual plant with pinnately divided leaves having warm taste, aromatic and sweet odor. It is cultivated as a cold weather crop in many parts of India and is used to flavor soups, pickles, salads, curd and many other foods. It is typically associated with fish dishes, being an important ingredient in Scandinavian Gravadlax {cured salmon} and often being used in white sauces or simply sprinkled over fish such as salmon together with a little lemon prior to grilling or baking in foil.
It has sweet pine and citrus flavors which blends well to dressings – or to just sprinkling on a salad, in sauces and soups, and meat dishes, often in combination with other herbs such as Basil and Parsley, and it is a part of the popular Herbes de Provence blend. It is used for seasoning soups, stews, dressings, sauces and herbal teas. It is closely related to but without the slight astringency of Oregano. Its essential oil is used in aromatherapy and in cosmetic products. The sweet taste is characterized by strong spicy pleasant odor. The flavor is fragrant, slightly bitter and camphoraceous.
It is a characteristic ingredient of the popular Herbes de Provence blend. It is also widely used as a seasoning for grilled meats, barbecues, sausages, canned meat, as well as in stews and sauces. It is said to have many properties and especially to favour digestion, for that reason it is often cooked with beans.
Its delicate parsley / anise flavour makes it well suited to milder dishes such as omelettes, soups, sauces, cheese, to poultry and seafood. It is one of the four traditional French fines herbes, along with tarragon, chives, and parsley.
Chives with its fresh and light onion taste is often incorporated into the dishes at the last minute. It seasons salads and gives dairy products a fresh note, such as cream, cheese and mayonnaise. It is used as an ingredient for omelettes, fish, potatoes, soups, and many other dishes.
It belongs to the family Rutaceae which is part of the citrus family. It is extremely aromatic. It is slightly pungent with nutty aroma. It is known to be used in all South Indian recipes such as Rasam, sambar, Chicken gravies.
It belongs to the mint family Lamiaceae. "rosemary" derives from the Latin words "ros", meaning "dew" and "marinus," meaning "sea" - "dew of the sea". Rosemary has a tea-like aroma and a piney flavor. Most often used to season meat, tomato sauce, bread and biscuit dough.
