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In many ways herbs are the poor relation of the spices mostly because so many commonly-used herbs are found growing in all our gardens. Whereas spices were expensive commodities that needed to be imported over long distances from far-away climes herbs (in soome form or other) were commonly available to all. Which is not to say that certain dried herbs aren't expensive (though these, like saffron, tend to be classed as spices). But in the absence of spices herbs are one of the few ways of flavouring food and even today herbs remain the mainstay of many dishes (most notably fish dishes).
By definition a herb is any herbaceous part of a plant. This means any combination of the stems the leaves and the flowers. Basically those parts of a plant that live above ground (in contrast the roots of a plant if used as a flavouring are generally considered as spices, as are the seeds and fruit of a plant). The list below therefore describes as many parts of a plant as possible if they are used (either fresh or dried) as a food flavouring.
There will be many herbs that you will find familiar here and hopefully there will be a number that you have not heard of before. The aim of this guide is to open your eyes (and your culinary skills) to the wealth of plants and plant parts that can be used to enhance the flavours of many dishes. If you come away from reading this guide with a new appreciation for the herbs that are avialable to your kitchen then I believe that my work in generating this page has, to a great extent, been vindicated.
It should be recalled that the definition of 'herb' is relatively modern and in more ancient times the lines between herbs and spices were often blurred and a 'spice' seems to have been defined mare as anything that bore a strong aroma. Thus herbs, spices and incense could all come under the label 'spice'; mainly because they were not perishable and could be tarnsproted for many months with little loss of pungency. A herb, in contrast was a flavouring that could be picked fresh from the garden and used in a dish.
The glory days of herbs were in the Middle Ages and the Tudor era where herbs were an essential part of any apothecary's garden and both monks and physicians would grow herbs more for their medicinal than their culinary value (though this did not preclude these herbs from being used for the pot!). It was only during the 18th century with the advent of the modern cookery book that herbs came back into vogue for their culinary value and today a well-stocked herb and spice rack is an essential for any serious cook's kitchen.
To use this guide simply click on the first letter of the herb that you're looking for (above or below). This will take you to a table of all the herbs that begin with that letter where you can chose the herb you want. There are over 50 herbs in his guide so far, including common and rare herbs and herbs used in cuisines from around the world, and you can search by common name and scientific name.
You can also use the search box below to find the herb of your choice. You can use the common name or the scientific name or any text you choose:
Just so you know what to expect, each time you refresh this page you will get a random spice displayed below. This is exactly the same kind of information as displayed on the main spice pages, which you can navigate through using the links above and below:
 Mexican Oregano, Lippia graveolens, (also known as Lipia, Mexican wild sage, Puerto Rican oregano, redbrush, scented loppia, té de pais and Tex-Mex oregano) is a perrenial herb that's member of the Verbenaceae (Vernbena) family; which means it's not an oregano at all; indeed, it's closest culinary relative is Lemon Verbena. It grows as a rather ungainly shrub and can reach 1.5m tall and 1.5m in diameter. Its brittle branches are very narrow, stiffly arching, and arranged in a seemingly haphazard manner. These brear tiny, dark green leaves (About 7mm long and 3mm wide) that have a scent that's similar to oregano but are generally sweeter and more pungent. The leaf axils bear starry-white flowers intermittently throughout the year. It is a native of Mexico and is used extensively in Mexican cuisine. The leaves can be used either fresh or dried and it is used in Mexico as an herbal tea, as well as being employed in salsas, pozole (Mexican-style hominy soup, usually prepared with pork), adobos (strongly flavored Mexican seasoning pastes), and rajas (roasted and seasoned chile strips used as filling for tortillas or quesadillas or as a base for more complex dishes). Increasingly it is becoming more widely available and is sold by many specialist spice merchants. It is also sometimes recommented as a substitute for epazote leaves. Mexican oregano leaves make a wonderful flavoring for fish, meatballs, sausage, tomato sauces, or any recipe requiring a strong oregano essence. |
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Below you will find links to other pages dealing with the various Herbs described on this site
List of Spices 'A'
List of Spices 'B' List of Spices 'C' List of Spices 'D' List of Spices 'E' List of Spices 'F' List of Spices 'G' List of Spices 'H' List of Spices 'I' List of Spices 'J' List of Spices 'K' List of Spices 'L' List of Spices 'M' List of Spices 'N' List of Spices 'O' List of Spices 'P' List of Spices 'Q' List of Spices 'R' List of Spices 'S' List of Spices 'T' List of Spices 'U' List of Spices 'V' List of Spices 'W' List of Spices 'X' List of Spices 'Y' List of Spices 'Z' The Guide to Spices and their Uses PDF file — It takes time and money to keep The Celtnet Recipe Site on the world wide web. You can help via the PayPal donation system: you remain anonymous as all eMail details are destroyed once your gift has been verified and a 'thank you' email has been sent. I need your trust and do not keep or sell eMail addresses. Once your donation has been made you will receive a copy of my The Guide to Spices and their Uses PDF file which contains a description of 57 spices along with recipes showing you how to use them. In addition the book contains recipes and techniques to create restaurant-style curries at home (recipes that are not on this website). Any donation you make goes towards the Help Stefan charity campaign. For more information see the Frequently Asked Questions. Also, if you purchase a book through any of the Amazon links below then a portion of the price will go to the maintenance of this site. Thank you for your help in keeping 'Celtnet Recipes' running. |
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With Autumn approaching, the mind naturally turns to how best to preserve the season's glut of fruit for the coming winter. One of the best preservation methods is to turn the fruit into jams and jellies, which will last you through the winter and well into the following spring. Here you will learn the secrets of making perfect jams and jellies with grape jam being used as an example.
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I know that the combination of chilli and chocolate sounds odd to modern ears. Yet this is an ancient mix used by the Aztecs and later adopted in Sicilian cuisine. What's presented here is a rich and piquant gravy that goes excellently well with game dishes.
Lamb is one of the sweetest an most versatile of the red meats. Typically it is very tender and lends itself to a whole range of cooking methods. Here you are presented with two classic lamb-based recipes.
Bread relies on wheat and barley for it's property as a bread for it's the gluten in these grains that allows bread to rise and keep its shape and texture. However, it is possible to add up to 20% other ingredients into a bread dough and if you add pea or bean flour then you can prepare a bread recipe that provide for all the essential amino acids you need. This article tells you about how breads works and gives you a basic recipe for a wheat bread containing maize flour.
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