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| arugula |
Arugula is technically known as a salad green or salad herb. Add to
lettuce, tomatoes and any other mixed baby salad greens, and create
new and exciting taste sensations.Arugula is very very low in calories and is also high in vitamins A and C.Arugula is also known as rocket, roquette, rugula and rucola, and is very popular in Italian cuisine.Rinse the leaves in cool water and dry on paper toweling. Store in zip lock bag. Best if used within two days.Its leaves have a unique, peppery
sweet tang, adding pizzazz even to the blandest salads. Although
arugula provides a flavor impact, it does not have an aftertaste.
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| basil |
Basil: One of the most populary culinary herbs is sweet basil. The best
flavor of purple basil comes from the Red Rubin variety. Especially
good in Thai dishes is the Thai Basil whose leaves have a spicy
aniseed aroma with hints of mint and citrus. All can be found at most
seed and plant nurseries. If you are unfamiliar with the nuances of
different basils, your best bet is to start with the sweet basil (most
often used in Pesto). Basil is available in fresh leaves and in dried
leaves, which are also sometimes called rubbed. Fresh leaves may be
stored in a cool place or in the refrigerator for a very short time. The strong, clove like flavor is essential to many Italian recipes and
it is paired most often with tomatoes. Basil is primarily used in
sauces, pizzas, salads and pasta dishes. It is also the main
ingredient used in pesto.
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| bayleaf |
Bayleaf : Also know as sweet bay, sweet laurel, bay
laurel and laurel leaf. Store in a cool, dry place, away from bright
light, heat and moisture. Available fresh, dried whole leaves or
ground dried leaves. Bay is probably the one herb that most cooks prefer
using dried than fresh.Add a bay leaf or two to
marinades, stock, pâtés, stews, stuffings and curries. When poaching
fish, add a bay leaf to the water. Store with rice in a tight fitting
jar and the leaf will impart its flavor to the rice when cooked.Bay leaves greatly improve
flavor if you are cutting down on salt. Try adding a bay leaf or two
when you boil potatoes to replace salt. Always remember to remove the
whole bay leaf after cooking in any dish.Fragrant bay leaves are a basic
ingredient of bouquet garni, but they have other wonderful uses. Bay
leaves may be added to many fish dishes, particularly salmon,
custards, stews, rice dishes and especially soups.
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| bergamot |
Bergamot : The flowers make an attractive garnish and can be crystallized. It is said a western species,
M. menthaefolia, can be used like oregano and the spicy flowers can be added to chili and salsa.
A Spanish botanist, Bergamot oil,
which is used in authentic Earl Grey tea, is extracted from this
plant.
The flowers maybe
scattered in salads and the leaves infused by simmering for 10 minutes
in an enamel saucepan for greater flavor. Put fresh leaf into China
tea for an Earl Grey flavor, into wine cups and into lemonade. Add
sparingly to salads, stuffings, pork. Use for jams, jellies and
bergamot milk; pour 1 cup boiling milk over 1 tablespoon dried or 3
tablespoons shredded leaves, steep for 5 - 7 minutes, strain and
serve.
Dill
is available in weed and seed, both fresh and dried.
Store dried seeds and leaves in a cool, dry, dark
place away from heat, light and moisture. Leaves will
keep for six months. Seeds will keep indefinitely.
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| dill |
Dill
or dill weed is an herb that produces clusters of
small flowers from which dill seed is gathered and
dill weed is obtained from the thin, feathery leaves.
The light aroma of dill faintly resembles licorice.
Dill
weed is good in soups, omelets, seafood dishes, herring,
salmon, potato salads, and steamed vegetables. Dill
seed is used in breads, pickling, cabbage dishes,
stews, rice and cooked root vegetables.
Dill
has a totally unique spicy green taste. Add whole
seeds to potato salad, pickles, bean soups and salmon
dishes. Ground seed can flavor herb butter, mayonnaise
and mustard. The leaves go well with fish, cream cheese
and cucumber.
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| fennel |
Fennel
yields an herb and a spice. The stems and leaves are
all edible. The spice comes from the dried seeds,
the herb comes from the leaves and the stalk and root
are the vegetable.
Fennel
is native to the Mediterranean and is one of our oldest
cultivated plants. Roman warriors took fennel to keep
in good health while their ladies ate it to prevent
obesity.
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| fennel seed |
The
seed is similar to anise seed, but sweeter and milder.
It pairs well with fish, but Italians also like to
add it to sauces, meats & sausages. If you are
familiar with the taste, it is probably from having
it in commercially prepared sausages. Add the seeds
to sauces, breads, savory crackers and water for poaching
fish.
Stuff the leaves into oily fish like mackerel and
sprinkle finely chopped stems and leaves on salads
and cooked vegetables and can also be added to soups
and stuffings.
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| fenugreek |
Fenugreek is cultivated
worldwide as a semi-arid crop.The seeds are used as a
spice in curries, pickles and chutneys. The raw seeds
are bitter so they are usually roasted gently to develop
flavor before grinding (do not overheat as that will
turn it red and bitter to the taste). The seeds are
very hard, and difficult to grind, a mortar and pestle
working best.Seed extract is used in
imitation vanilla, butterscotch and rum flavorings,
and is the main flavoring in imitation maple syrup.
Fenugreek seeds are also used in candy, baked goods,
ice cream, chewing gum and soft drinks. The seeds
can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
The seeds may also be spouted
and used as a winter salad herb. (Ready in 4 to 6
days) As the sprouts grow, the curry flavor recedes.The young leaves are a
salad herb and can added to other salad greens like
watercress for a delicious salad. Fresh or dried leaves
are used to flavor other dishes. The dried leaves
(called kasuri methi) have a bitter taste and a strong
characteristic smell.
Hoja santa is an aromatic
herb with a heart-shaped, velvety leaf which grows
in tropic Mesoamerica. The name hoja santa means "sacred
leaf" in Spanish. It is also known as yerba santa,
hierba santa, Mexican pepperleaf,
root beer plant, and sacred pepper.
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| hugo santa |
The leaves can reach up
to 30 centimeters (12 inches) or more in size. The
complex flavor of hoja santa is not so easily described;
it has been compared to eucalyptus, licorice, sassafras,
anise, nutmeg, mint, tarragon, and black pepper. The
flavor is stronger in the young stems and veins.
It is often used in Mexican
cuisine for tamales, the fish or meat wrapped in fragrant
leaves for cooking, and as an essential ingredient
in Mole Verde, the green sauce originated in the Oaxaca
region of Mexico. It is also chopped to flavor soups
and eggs. In Central Mexico, it is used to flavor
chocolate drinks. In southeastern Mexico, a green
liquor called Verdín is made from hoja santa.
While typically used fresh, it is also used in dried
form, although drying removes much of the flavor and
makes the leaf too brittle to be used as a wrapper.
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| hops |
Hops are the flowers used
to season beer. Bittering hops, meaning adding hops
early on in the boil process, provide bitterness to
the beer to balance the sweetness of the malt. Hops
added at the end of the boil, referred to as finishing
hops, add flavor and aroma to the beer. Adding hops
directly to the fermenter, or dry hopping, lends additional
hop aroma to the beer.
Hops also serve as a natural
preservative, helping to prevent spoilage in beer.
Hops comes as either whole flowers or compressed pellets
(think rabbit food). There are many varieties of hops
available to homebrewers, allowing for great diversity
of flavors and aromas.
Different hops are used
to brew different styles of beer. For example, cascade
hops give American pale ales their distinct citrusy
quality, fuggles have an earthiness common in English-style
ales, and saaz lend the spicy/herbal character found
in European Pilsners.
Lemongrass is a tall perennial
grass. Common names include lemon grass, lemongrass,
barbed wire grass, silky heads, citronella grass,
fever grass or Hieba Luisa amongst many others.
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| lemongrass |
Lemongrass is widely used
as a herb in Asian (particularly Vietnamese, Hmong,
Khmer, Thai, Lao, Malaysian, Indonesian, Philippine,
Sri Lankan) and Caribbean cooking. It has a citrus
flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh.For soups and simmered
dishes, cut the trimmed stalk at a very sharp angle
into inch-long pieces, exposing its fragrant interior.
Smash with the flat blade of a cleaver or heavy knife
to bruise and release the aromatic oils before adding
to these dishes.
For salads, cut with a sharp knife into very thin
rounds, breaking up the fibers that run the length
of the stalk. When slicing, if the outer layer seems
fibrous, peel it off before proceeding. Such thinly
sliced rounds of the inner stalk can be easily chewed
with other salad ingredients for a refreshing burst
of lemony herb flavor.
For curries, cut the stalk
into thin rounds before pounding in a stone mortar
to reduce to paste. Although lemon grass appears dry
when you are slicing it, when crushed, you will see
that it really is quite moist. Crushing breaks the
juice sacs in the fibers and releases the aromatic
oils that make lemon grass so special.
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| marjoram |
Marjoram
is an herb that has a mild, sweet flavor similar to
oregano ( it is closely related and of the same family
- Origanum) with perhaps a hint of balsam. It is said
to be “the meat herb" but it compliments
all foods except sweets.While
fresh marjoram is excellent with salads and mild flavored
foods, it has the best taste and greatest pungency
when they are dried. Marjoram has a slightly more
delicate flavor than Oregano.
Marjoram
because it is more delicate should be added toward
the end of cooking so its flavor is not lost. Marjoram
goes well with pork and veal and complements stuffing
for poultry, dumplings and herb scones or breads.
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| mint |
Mint
is an herb that comes in many varieties such as peppermint,
spearmint, apple mint, lemon mint and even chocolate
mint. Mint came to the New World with colonists, who
used it in tea for medicinal purposes.
Mint
is used for seasoning lamb, vegetable such as carrots,
bell pepper, and tomatoes, in yogurt dressings, and
breads. It is also used in the Middle East for salads,
tabouli and marinated vegetables.
Mint
is good in soups, salads, sauces, plain meat, fish
and poultry, stews, sweet or savory recipes, extremely
good with chocolate or lemon based desserts. Add near
the end of cooking for a better flavor.
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| mitsuba |
Mitsuba is also known as
Japanese parsley, Japanese Chervil, Japanese wild
parsley or honeywort. Mitsuba - a delightful Japanese
herb with a clean fresh flavor reminiscent of angelica,
celery and parsley.
Leaves, root and stems
are used raw or cooked, seedlings and young leaves
added to salads. The seed is used for seasoning and
the stem can be blanched and used as a celery substitute.
The cress-like young seedlings are used in salads
and the stems and leaves are chopped and used to flavor
a number of dishes.
The leaves which are dark
green look a little like oversized flat leaf parsley.
Oregano
is an herb that derives its name from two Greek words
meaning "the joy of the mountain". It is
a hardy member of the mint family that has been used
for flavoring fish, meat and sauces since ancient
times.
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| oregano |
Oregano
goes well with vegetables, roast beef, lamb, chicken
and pork. Marjoram goes well with all pork and veal
and complements stuffing for poultry, dumplings and
herb scones or breads.Generally
used to season Mexican, Italian, Greek and Spanish
dishes. Oregano has a warm, aromatic scent and robust
taste. It's uses include seasoning soups, stews, meat
pies, pasta sauces and shellfish.
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| parsley |
Parsley
is a great all around herb. It quickly adds a touch
of color and texture to any recipe. The aroma and
taste of parsley is very distinctive for a herb that
is generally described as being mild and non obtrusive.
Use
fresh or dried parsley in any recipe. Especially good
in omelets, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, soups,
pasta and vegetable dishes as well as sauces to go
with fish, poultry, veal and pork. Use fresh leaves
as garnish.Parsley
has a delicate favor that combines well with other
herbs like basil, bay leaves, chives, dill weed, garlic,
marjoram, mint, oregano and thyme.Flat
leaf or Italian is used primarily in cooking because
of its more robust flavor and curly parsley is used
primaryily for garnish. Add at the end of cooking
for better flavor.
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| rosemarry |
Rosemary
is an herb of the mint family. It is a small evergreen
shrub that is native to the Mediterranean and likes
warm climates, but will flourish in nearly any climate.
It is produced all over the world.
Rosemary's aromatic flavor blends well with garlic
and thyme to season lamb roasts, meat stews, and marinades.
Rosemary also enlivens lighter fish and poultry dishes,
tomato sauces, and vegetables.
Dress
fresh steamed red potatoes and peas or a stir fried
mixture of zucchini and summer squash. Rosemary has
a tea like aroma and a piney flavor. Crush leaves
by hand or with a mortar and pestle before using.
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| sage |
Sage
is an herb from an evergreen shrub in the mint family.
Fresh sage sprigs have long, narrow grayish green
leaves and, although it is a member of the mint family,
it has a musty yet smoky aroma.
Sage
enhances pork, lamb, meats, and sausages. Chopped
leaves flavor salads, pickles, and cheese. Crumble
leaves for full fragrance. Use ground Sage sparingly
as foods absorb its flavor more quickly.
Sage
is a wonderful flavor enhancement for seafood, vegetables,
stuffing, and savory breads. Rub sage, cracked pepper,
and garlic into pork tenderloin or chops before cooking.
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| savory |
Savory is available in
fresh or dried leaves. Tender leaves can be added
fresh to salads or used as a garnish or bottle the
herb in vinegar. Once dried and chopped, it is an
integral part of herb mixtures like Herbes de Provence.There are two types of
savory - winter and summer. The two look much the
same, but winter is a bit more pungent. Savory smells
and tastes like Mint and Rosemary chopped together.Savory is nicknamed the
bean herb. It is typically used in soups, beans and
as a meat and poultry seasoning. This herb tastes
slightly warm and sharp. It is a very strong herb
and should be used sparingly.Most commonly used
as a seasoning for green vegetables, savory's special
affinity is for beans. Use summer savory, with its
more delicate flavor, for tender baby green beans,
and winter savory to enhance a whole medley of dried
beans and lentils.
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| stevia |
Stevia
is an herb from a semitropical perennial shrub of
the daisy family, native to the mountains of Brazil
and Paraguay. This plant packs so much sweetness into
its leaves that they can be used in place of sugar.
One
dried leaf, ground, is 10 to 15 times sweeter than
an equal amount of sugar, and powdered extracts made
from the leaves are up to 300 times as sweet, without
the calories (make that no calories!). Plus it is
a very attractive plant that pots well.Nonetheless,
people can buy stevia powder and use it as a sugar
replacement at home. One fresh stevia leaf is enough
to sweeten a cup of tea, coffee or a glass of lemonade.
The leaves can be added to barbecue sauce, salad dressings,
soups, and stews.
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| tarragon |
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Tarragon is an exceptional
herb. It has a subtle and sophisticated flavor and
is an essential herb in French cuisine. It's flavor
is delicate and almost licorice or anise-like. Tarragon
is native to Siberia.
Tarragon, together with
parsley, chervil, and chives make a traditional French
blend, Fines Herbes. Tarragon is exceptional in egg
dishes, poached fish, mushrooms and other vegetables.Tarragon is good with chicken
and in salad dressings. It is often used in sauces
like béarnaise and French cuisine. Tarragon
is also often used to infuse vinegar and olive oils.
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| thyme |
Thyme: Fresh garden thyme is an
herb that has thin grayish green leaves and a subtle
lemon, yet minty aroma and taste. Thyme is used in
a wide variety of cuisine, but is most closely associated
with French cuisine.It is often used in soups
and sauces, with meat, poultry or fish. It is also
a very important component of herbes de Provence and
bouquet garni. Fresh thyme has the most flavor used
whole, with the stem.
Thyme is included in seasoning
blends for poultry and stuffing and also commonly
used in fish sauces, chowders, and soups. It goes
well with lamb and veal as well as in eggs and croquettes.
Thyme if often paired with tomatoes.
