There’s a mentality in the culinary industry that cooking with herbs is only for gourmet chefs and not for amateurs. Ordinary people are hesitant to use these comestible herbs as additional spice and flavor to their home-cooked meals and it might be confusing for non-professionals to notice when and how to use these herbs. There are a lot of tips and tricks that one should know to maximize these herbs and each type is only paired to specific dishes. To start, here are the customary herbs you can familiarize with and find in any kitchenette.
Table of Contents
Cook with Parsley
The primitive Romans and Greeks use parsley during burial ceremonies to hide the tangy scent of the dead person. As time went by, the utilization of parsley became flexible and people started using parsley for culinary purposes and as herbal medicine. Get Yours Here!
Parsley is available in dry and fresh form. Its taste is appetizing and slightly bitter, bringing disparity to dishes with subtle flavors. The leaf serves as an antioxidant and it is rich in Vitamin A, C, and K which is good in boosting the immunity of a person. Parsley is commonly seasoned to meals like Spaghetti Aglio, Braised Artichokes, Slow-Roasted Salmon with Chimichurri, and salads.
Cook with Mint
The Lamiaceae plant family consists of around thirty species including lavender, perilla, and the famous mint or mentha. Makers of supermarket goods such as gum, candy, toothpaste, ointment, and cosmetics use mint oil as their primary ingredient. In the kitchen, mint is used to build up the aromatic scent of the cuisine. Get Yours Here!
The taste is quite similar to menthol and it creates a sweet and lasting cool effect in the mouth. Mint is a good remedy for an irritable bowel movement and gastrointestinal problems. The fresh mint leaves that are crushed are usually added to teas, sodas, and other cold alcohol beverages to deliver more punch. For the dried variety of mint leaves, it is typically used to elevate the flavored sauces of stew, lamb burgers, and roasted chicken, and the extract is applied as an additional spice to mint ice cream, chocolate cake, and confectionaries.
Cook with Basil
The plant basil originates from Persia and India but it is more commercially available in the Meditteranean countries specifically in Italy. The Italians love using the herb to their home-cooked tomato-based pasta and green pestos. The plant is also the main ingredient in the production of olive oils. Basil has a peppery taste with a sweet aroma.
Its leaves are big with noticeable veins sprouting from each corner. Traditional Chinese medicine has been using Basil for over a hundred years. The plant is said to cure indigestion and reduces stomach bloating. It is also made into supplements and capsules as over the counter medicine for depression and anxiety. Basil also appears to these basic recipes such as pizzas, soups, lobster tails, chili chicken, and baked lambs. Get Yours Here!
Cook with Thyme
Thyme leaves are extremely pungent and it is the most prominent herb used by the Europeans. In ancient times, Greeks and Romans would often sprinkle thyme leaves and stem into their hot bath and use the extract as massage oils. It is said that the herb is very helpful in strengthening the stamina of the person and cleansing the body.
Thyme leaves are very earthy in flavor and it is the perfect seasoning to poultry products such as chicken, lambs, and beef. It also goes well with grilled vegetables, omelets, lentils, cheese, tomatoes, and pasta. Get Yours Here!
Cook with Cilantro
Cilantro has a long history and its presence has been relevant for at least 7,000 years. The plant was first discovered by the Indians and it is a staple herb to Southern Europeans and Asians. Philosophers like Hippocrates and other Greek physicians use cilantro leaves as medicine. The herb is very effective in slimming down the body because of its dietary fibers.
Cilantro’s extract is also efficient in flushing down extra sodium which helps lower a person’s cholesterol and reduces the risk of getting a heart-related disease. The herb varies in flavor – sometimes it’s spiciness is very mild and sometimes it is very strong. Its lemony aftertaste is perfect to pair up to recipes such as middle eastern bread salad, lime chicken, steaks, and grilled salmon. Cilantro is also a great addition to kick up the flavors of condiments such as mayonnaise and garlic ranch. Get Yours Here!
Cook with Lemongrass
This particular herb has a concentrated citrus flavor. Lemongrass grows well in tropical climates and it is usually found in Southeast Asia. The herb is a common element in Thai cuisines and it is generally applied to saturate teas, broths, and soups. Lemongrass gives off a sharp lemony flavor with snippets of spicy ginger. Manufacturers of soap, lotions, oils, deodorants, and make-up are also reliant in using lemongrass for their products to release more scent. Several Asian cuisines are dependent on lemongrass as a flavoring and because of its established reputation in the medicinal field, it is also utilized to make Vitamin A supplements and treatment for anxiety. Fresh lemongrass is dredged to meals such as barbequed shrimps, Indonesian chicken curry, tom yum, Thai mussels, pork, and chicken satay. Get Yours Here!
Cook with Rosemary
An upright succulent that is both nurtured as a herb and landscape detail, this plant is a species from the family of Lamiaceae and has been in use as a culinary spice since 500 B.C. Its characteristics are very delicate, with needle-like leaves, the bushes of rosemary are often associated with flowers that grow around its stem and bloom in the color of blue, pink, and white.
Rosemary is also a medium to refine a person’s digestive system and further improve the blood flow inside the body. Sprigs of rosemary has distinct piney and peppery flavor, culinary practitioners are very fond of using this herb as a substance of relish to their roasted white meat and protein foods – chicken, beef, salmon, eggs, bread, and pasta. Get Yours Here!
Cook with Oregano
Known as the “Pizza Herb” of this generation, gourmet chefs treat oregano as their go-to herb to any meal they prepare because of its strong earthy flavor. Originated from Europe, the plant’s presence is also profound in Southeast Asian and Mediterranean cuisines. The plant’s extract is vaporous and it emanates oils in the form of thymol, eugenol, and carvacrol which are all essential in fighting off the bacterias that are found in a human’s intestine. Get Yours Here!
Oregano oil is composed of high content phenolic acids and flavonoids which are also efficient in curing inflammation. Dried oregano is typically added in the early stages of cooking to further simmer the plant and deliver more flavor to the dish. Oregano is featured in meals like chicken stew, burgers, pizzas, beans, and dinner rolls.
Cook with Sage
Seasons like winter, summer, fall, and spring contain their own identity of flavors. Like for summer, it is common to use sweet and lime flavors to any victuals to get that cooling refreshing effect. When it comes to ber months, people usually seek a more spicy and warm aftertaste and the herb sage is the perfect commodity that defines this particular season. Get Yours Here!
The scope of fall season flavors highlight the sage as its main identity, from stuffing turkeys with this herb to cooking pumpkin soups, sage is inevitably present in every Thanksgiving and Christmas meal. Sage is a high source of potassium and if you’re a person who is anemic, it is better to consume this herb for it benefits you for increasing the iron, calcium, and fibers inside your body.
Cook with Chamomile
People only think of teas when they hear the word chamomile. They automatically assume that this particular plant is only applied to this infused beverage for flavor enhancement.
The plant imparts a crisp fall apple and sweet floral savor. Eating chamomile is okay, its fresh blossoms are normally mixed with other baking ingredients to create luscious confectionaries such as cupcakes, cakes, candies, pies, ice cream, and custards. Meanwhile, its stem is sparsely used to sodas and alcoholic beverages because it elicits a woodsy and peppery bitter flavor. Get Yours Here!
Cook with Chives
A herb that has a commonplace in gardens and kitchens, chives hail from the onion family Alliaceae and this vegetable grows in clusters rather than an individual plant. Chives play an important role in the gourmet industry, this specific herb is blended to different spices and seasonings to create condiments for fish and poultry.
Aside from that, chopped chives are also used as a garnish to emphasize the plating of the dishes. The composition of this herb is similar to onions and it also exudes the same chemical components such as Vitamin A, C, and iron – which are all medicinal and good for the body. What’s good about this herb is that it adapts well in any kitchen garden and it makes a great addition to your collection of home-grown herbs. Get Yours Here!
Cook with Tarragon
In France, Tarragon is called the “King of Herbs”. Its stem is very tall and slender and it propagates in the region of Asia, Siberia, and the United States. Tarragon appeals to the famous French sauce Bearnaise. The herb compliments well as a finishing touch to the mixture of butter, egg yolks, white wine vinegar, and various other herbs. In the past Tarragon, acts as a vitality boost medicine and a lot of Roman soldiers put a tidbit of this plant on the soles of their combat shoes. Its distinguished bittersweet anise-like flavor is usually thrown to some basic recipes such as roasted mustard chicken, lemon and roast, asparagus with sherry vignette, poached arctic char, and pan-seared rib-eye steak. Get Yours Here!
Cook with Bay Leaf
Cooking with bay leaf is substantial in releasing more savor to your ordinary canned soup, pottage, stew, sauce, and any slow-simmered meals. Like wine, bay leaf’s flavor becomes stronger when it ages well and it is extricated through steam and heat.
It is also the vintage ingredient to Bouquet Garni or Garnished Bouquet – herbs clumped together and tied into a string and usually utilized to enhance the savor of the stock, soup, or sauce. Adding bay leaf to your diet comes with hefty health benefits and it serves as an ailment to migraine, inflammation, indigestion, and diabetes. Get Yours Here!
Cook with Dill
Americans are known as the large consumer of dill and they eat at least an average of 2.5 billion pounds every year. This weed plant is very common in American households and it is usually blended to sauces that accompany finger meals like nuggets, sweet pickled asparagus, baby potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. Get Yours Here!
The weed resembles the flavor of fennel and like bay leaf, its flavor is also extracted through steaming. The dill is commonly simmered first through heat before adding it to a cooked meal, it is said this method will keep the meal retain its vibrancy and relish. As a staple herb in the medicinal field, dill is used as an antioxidant and source of Vitamin C.
Cook with Marjoram
A plant that originates from the mint family, marjoram leaves are oval-shaped and has a faded green shade. Marjoram is frequently compared to oregano because of their similar physical characteristics as herbs.
Marjoram is slightly sweet and less bitter than oregano but both herbs are perfect seasonings to tomato-based dishes, German and Polish sausages, salad dressings, and soups. Englishmen are also reliant on using m’arjoram as preservatives to beer and tobacco because of its minty aftertaste. The plant also acts as a reliever for coughs, stomach cramps, colds, and runny nose. Get Yours Here!
Adding herbs to your cooking might not be an elective that everyone should follow but if you familiarize yourself well enough to learn about their usage, history, and taste, it wouldn’t hurt to add these succulents as an extra ingredient to magically transform your dish into something worth savoring for.
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