Marjoram vs. Oregano: Same Genus, Different Chemistry, and How to Swap Them

Marjoram is the sweeter, softer one; oregano is sharper. They’re two species of the same genus, Origanum, and some marjoram plants even carry carvacrol, the compound behind oregano’s bite, which is why a jar of marjoram can taste surprisingly close to oregano.¹ On the shelf, though, they’re kept apart: the international standard for dried oregano covers every Origanum species except marjoram.² In most dishes they swap well, as long as you use less oregano than marjoram.

Side by side

For each herb in depth, see marjoram and oregano.

How related are they?

Close. Both are Origanum species, and even the names overlap: “wild marjoram” and “European marjoram” are other names for oregano. A 2020 review of oregano chemistry points out that “oregano” itself gets used for several Origanum species, marjoram among them.³

In trade, though, they’re kept apart. The Codex Alimentarius standard for dried oregano covers every Origanum species except Origanum majorana.² So marjoram is oregano’s sibling in the garden and a separate product on the shelf.

Differences that change the dish

The chemistry behind the sweetness

A 2022 review of marjoram oil describes two main chemical types. One is led by terpinen-4-ol and cis-sabinene hydrate, the other by carvacrol and thymol. Cis-sabinene hydrate, with its acetate, is considered responsible for sweet marjoram’s flavor.¹ Oregano oil is another story. Carvacrol and thymol together make up about 78 to 85 percent of it, according to a 2020 review, and carvacrol alone ran from 58.7 to 77.4 percent in one set of Spanish samples tabulated there.³

That’s why most marjoram tastes sweeter and softer than oregano, and why some lots taste surprisingly close to it: the carvacrol type of marjoram shares oregano’s main compounds. Retail jars don’t tell you which type they hold. Keep in mind that all of these figures are for distilled oils from particular samples, not dried leaf, and the two reviews looked at different plants.¹³

Strength

Oregano usually gets called the stronger herb. The Spice House names it the close relative to use in place of marjoram, at about half the amount.⁷ The University of Delaware’s extension service, though, puts both in the same medium-strength group, with basil and thyme.⁵ Both can be true: oregano can taste sharper without being a “dominant” herb like sage or rosemary. Either way, taste before you add the rest.

Dried or fresh

You’ll often hear that oregano is better dried and marjoram better fresh. America’s Test Kitchen lists both among the dried herbs worth keeping in the pantry, so dried marjoram is a fine choice too. To swap forms, ATK’s Danielle Lapierre says to use one third the amount when substituting dried herbs for fresh;⁸ see fresh oregano vs. dried.

Timing

Both carry their flavor in a volatile oil. The University of Delaware notes that long cooking costs herbs their flavor and suggests adding them during the last 45 minutes of a long simmer.⁵ With marjoram’s gentler smell, it makes sense to add it especially late.

Can one stand in for the other?

Yes, in most dishes. These are the same swaps you’ll find on our marjoram substitutes and oregano substitutes pages.

• Oregano for marjoram. The Spice House calls oregano the closest substitute and also suggests Greek oregano specifically.⁷ It doesn’t say whether its ratio is for fresh or dried, so use whichever form your recipe calls for. Expect a sharper, less sweet dish.
• Marjoram for oregano. The Spice House says marjoram tastes the most like oregano.⁹ You’ll see a rule of three parts marjoram for two of oregano repeated a lot, but we couldn’t find where it comes from. Start with the same amount and add more if the dish wants it.
• Mexican oregano is a different plant from a different family; see Mexican oregano vs. oregano.

Where each is used

Oregano is a key ingredient in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking and essential in Italian pizza and pasta sauces, Greek salads and gyros. It caught on in the United States after World War II, when returning soldiers who’d developed a taste for Italian food made it popular.

Marjoram’s sourced uses are vaguer. Britannica says only that it seasons many foods. It’s good with sausages, pork, lamb and veal, potatoes, beans, mushrooms and eggs, and in tomato sauces as a softer alternative to oregano. We couldn’t trace claims that it’s especially English or French, or that it’s mainly for vinegars and dressings.

Buying and safety

• Oregano is the one to buy carefully. In the European Commission’s 2019 to 2021 coordinated control plan on herb and spice fraud, 48% of oregano samples were at risk of contamination, most often with olive leaves.⁶ We found no comparable survey for marjoram. Whole or crushed leaf makes foreign leaf easier to spot than powder does.
• One shared limit. EU law caps pyrrolizidine alkaloids, plant toxins that can contaminate harvests, at 1,000 µg/kg in dried marjoram and oregano, against 400 µg/kg for most other dried herbs.¹⁰
• Health claims. We’re not claiming either herb treats or prevents any condition.

What isn’t known

• Marjoram jars don’t state their chemotype, so yours may be closer to oregano than you’d expect.¹
• We found no adulteration survey of marjoram.
• We found no dated price comparison.

Related

• Marjoram, marjoram uses, cooking with marjoram and how to dry marjoram
• Oregano, oregano uses, cooking with oregano and too much oregano
• Marjoram substitutes and oregano substitutes
• Oregano vs. thyme, basil vs. oregano, Mexican oregano vs. oregano and herbes de Provence vs. Italian seasoning