Adding herbs to food reduces the need for salt, sodium, MSG,
and less healthful seasonings. Herbs boost flavor, nutrition, and freshness.
Many people are wary of cooking with fresh herbs, because they do not know how to
do so. Some people are afraid that they will overcook or improperly handle the
leaves and flowers, which can make herbs turn black, slimy, or bitter. The
following information can help you learn about how to handle and cook with
herbs, and make the most of herbs in your diet.
Basil
Famous in pesto, basil has a spicy aroma and a flavor that
tastes of pepper, clove, mint, and licorice. Many varieties exist, but basil is
usually a pointed, oval-shaped leaf. For best flavor, use very little basil in
the cooking process, but add it to a finished dish. Tear the leaves, rather
than chopping with a knife to prevent blackening. Basil combines well with
garlic, olive oil, lemon, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, beans, and
rice.
Mint
Mint is a very hardy and highly fragrant crop. It is best
used fresh, but may be dried and added to soups, stews, and stuffing. The
leaves of the mint plant have a coarse texture and are ragged on the edges.
They grow on stalks or in stemlike clusters. Mint enhances the taste of
carrots, potatoes, eggplant, beans, grilled fish, and lamb. It is also
compatible with ginger, cumin, cardamom, and cloves. It is famous for enhancing
iced teas.
Thyme
Essential in Western and Middle Eastern cooking, thyme has a
close tie to zahtar, a similar Middle Eastern spice. Thyme has a very earthy
scent, with a taste of clove, camphor, and mint. Dried thyme does not lose its
powerful scent or flavor. Thyme is often found dried and tied with a string.
Fresh thyme has woody stems and small leaves. Best known in long, slow-cooking
recipes, thyme combines well with garlic, onion, red wine, basil, bay,
lavender, marjoram, parsley, and savory.
Use it when cooking tomato- and wine-based sauces, vegetable soups, and marinades
for pork and poultry. It also works well with mushrooms, leeks, eggplant, corn,
tomatoes, and dried beans.
Marjoram
Sweet and spicy, marjoram tastes and smells like camphor.
Marjoram has dark green, smooth oval leaves. It is used in a variety of dishes,
but because its flavor is easily lost with the addition of heat, add it to
foods at the last minute, after they have finished the cooking. Add to salads
and soft cheeses, and use to flavor artichokes, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms,
onions, eggs, and poultry.
Oregano
More robust than marjoram, oregano has an intense
pepperiness and more distinct flavor. It comes in a variety of leaf shapes and
sizes, and is famous on the tables of pizza restaurants around the world.
Oregano is preferred in its dried form, and is best used in pizza and tomato
sauces, baked fish, lamb, stews, beans, marinades, and flavored oils and
vinegars.
Parsley
Found in curly and flat-leaf varieties, parsley is fresh and
spicy with a hint of pepper. The stems are more flavorful than the leaves of
the parsley herb and are used in cooking. Most famous as a garnish, parsley
enhances stuffing, omelets, salads, tabbouleh, and fish. Parsley is good for
digestion.
Cilantro
Perhaps the most ubiquitous herb in the world, cilantro is
earthy with a parsley, mint, and lemon characteristic. Cilantro pairs well with
almost any savory food, doing well when combined with garlic, basil, mint,
parsley, lemon, lime, chilies, and coconut. Cilantro is also wonderful in
chutney, relishes, and salsas. This herb also does well when paired with fish,
seafood, beans, chickpeas, plantains, rice, root vegetables, and squash. It is
best added at the end of cooking to preserve its fresh flavor.
Rosemary
Rosemary both smells and tastes of lavender, camphor, and
nutmeg. It combines well with thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and wine. Rosemary
grows on stems with lovely purple flowers and is best when used fresh. Use
rosemary when cooking pork, lamb, and poultry, and add to marinades, eggplant,
beans, cabbage, zucchini, potatoes, and tomatoes.
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