Like many other popular herbs, basil is a member of the mint family. This herb originated in Persia and India where it has now been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. Today, Egypt and the United States are the primary countries in which basil is grown and exported.
Surrounded by rich folklore, renowned for uses both culinary and medicinal and named for the Greek word meaning ‘king’, basil is indeed considered by many to be the ‘King of Herbs’.
Cilantro is also called coriander and is the source of the coriander seed. Cilantro is a member of the parsley family and there is a close resemblance between the two herbs. In fact, the resemblance is so close that it is fairly easy to mistake one for the other if …
Almost anyone who has made a basic soup or stew has used bay leaves to flavor the dish. Bay leaves have been such a staple ingredient in soups and stews that most of us use them as we always have without giving them a second thought. With a multitude of …
Tarragon is a small, shrubby herb that is native to western Asia and southern Russia. Today, it grows wild across a great deal of North America and Eurasia with France leading the world in cultivation. Tarragon Flavor Profile This herb is very aromatic and has a flavor that is slightly …
Ever since US soldiers returned from World War II with a special affinity for what they referred to as “the pizza herb”, oregano has been a staple on spice racks across America. In other countries, oregano has been an important culinary and medicinal herb for centuries. Oregano is a member …
Lemongrass is a variety of tropical island plant in the grass family. It is closely related to citronella, a well-known component of insect-repelling candles and oils. Native to Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and Burma, lemongrass has become so popular worldwide that it is now cultivated in a wide variety of …
There are more than 900 species of sage, only a handful of which are used in cooking. This member of the mint family is native to the Mediterranean. More than half of the world’s sage supply today is harvested from Croatia, Albania, and Montenegro. It’s also cultivated in Bosnia, Serbia, …