Here I´ve put together a list of the most common aromatic herbs used in the Mediterranean kitchen
You will find not only a quick explanation of that they are but also where they came from and where we usually use them.
I hope you find it all useful in your daily kitchen tasks 🙂
CELERY
It has a very active taste, so it should be used sparingly. Its aroma is like parsley, and so it is used in many countries in the same way that you use parsley. The leaves are great to smell branches and salads, and their fleshy, fibrous stalks can be eaten raw or cooked in soups or stews.
It is preserved in a refrigerator about 4 to 5 days.
Goes well with cabbage, chicken, fish, potatoes, rice, tomato and tofu.
It blends well with clove, cloves, fresh coriander, cumin, ginger, mustard, parsley, pepper and turmeric.
ROSEMARY
It is excellent for marinades, and also serves to give a special flavor to biscuits, sweet and savory, bread and even lemonade. However, and because it has a very intense flavor, should be used with caution.
The stronger stems can be used as skewers for kebabs, giving a lightly smoked flavor to the meat.
You can store in a refrigerator for several days the most tender sprigs
It goes well with cabbage, cream cheese, eggs, fish, meat, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and oranges.
It blends well with laurel, chives, garlic, lavender, mint, oregano, parsley, sage, savory and thyme.
GARLIC
It can be used to enhance the flavor of many foods. When cooked, it has a much milder flavor then when chopped or crushed.
Very popular in Mediterranean cuisine, can be used in stews or fried, being extremely versatile in its application.
Is known for its medicinal properties because it helps control blood pressure and cholesterol, garlic eventually won a prominent place in cooking that goes far beyond its “healthy” aspect.
Stored in a dry, cool place the garlic lasts long. The garlic can also be consumed dried, flaked or powdered.
It goes well with almost all savory dishes.
It combines well with the majority of the aromatic herbs and spices.
SPRING ONIONS
It has a milder taste and it can be used both as a spice and vegetable. Essential in oriental cuisine as it does not have the bitter taste of raw onions. However, if you want to preserve their crunchy texture you should add it in the final stage of preparation of the dish.
You can keep chive in the refrigerator for about a week. Wrap them well to prevent its aroma pass to other foods.
Goes well with eggs, fish and seafood, meat and most vegetables.
It goes well with chilies, coriander, ginger, garlic and parsley
CHIVES
It should not be cooked, because it loses its delightful aroma of onions very easily. It should be chopped or cut with scissors, and used immediately, to maintain its crunchy texture and its fresh and green appearance.
It is an aromatic herb to garnish and it makes you dishes more beautiful and tasty! Try making a sauce with butter and chopped chives and sprinkle over roasted potatoes and you will realize why this herb is so appreciated. .
Chives can last only a few days in the fridge, but you can try chop it and freeze because its aroma is maintained.
Goes well with potatoes and root vegetables in general, fish and seafood, eggs, avocados, zucchini and cream cheese.
Pairs well with basil, coriander, parsley, paprika and tarragon
CORIANDER
Very common in Mediterranean cuisine it’s also widely used in Asian and Latin American cuisine. Its fresh flavor, with a slight aftertaste of pepper, mint and lemon, should be preserved by adding the leaves just before the end of the preparation of the dishes – except in the curry pastes
Try adding chopped coriander stems to stews.
Being very easy to find on sale, coriander keep in the refrigerator for about 1 week. Alternatively, you can freeze the chopped leaves, without prejudice to its taste.
Goes well with avocados, fish and seafood, coconut milk, lemon, lime and legumes in general.
Pairs well with basil, peppers, chives, dill, garlic, ginger, mint and parsley.
TARRAGON
Due to its strong taste, it should be used with moderation. It’s great for marinades of meat dishes or game.Whole stems can be used to stuff fish or chicken, and the leaves connect very well with tomatoes. It is excellent for flavoring vinegar.
Store it in the refrigerator where it will keep for about a week.
Goes well with artichokes, asparagus, eggs, fish, potatoes and tomatoes.
Pairs well with basil, bay leaves, capers, chervil, chives, dill and parsley
DILL
It is an excellent choice for fish or shellfish.
Freezing it is the best way to preserve it, as this plant wilts in only a few days. Keep it in a bag in the freezer, and take small springs when you want to use. Similar to what happens that most herbs should be added to the preparation of a dish only in the final phase of his cooking, not to lose the scent.
Goes well with beets, beans, carrots, courgettes, eggs, fish and seafood, rice, potatoes and spinach.
Pairs well with basil, capers, garlic, mustard, paprika and parsley.
FENNEL
It’s a tall, robust plant, from which we use the leaves and stems. The stems can be used fresh or dried, as they can be kept up to 6 months. The leaves, stored in the refrigerator, last a few days.
Try using it as a wrapper for fatty fish.
Being a very used plant in Indian cuisine is also customary to chew it at the end of a meal to freshen breath and aid digestion.
Goes well with beans, beets, cabbage, duck, fish and seafood, leek, pork, potatoes, rice and tomatoes.
It blends well with cinnamon, cumin, mint, dill, parsley and thyme.
MINT
It is one of the most popular condiments worldwide, cool and warm at the same time.
Can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, you can chop it and mix it with a little cooking oil to freeze a tray of ice cubes to or can dry the leaves, storing them in an airtight container.
Extremely versatile, it serves to savory dishes such as chicken, to desserts such as ice cream or drinks such as fruit punches.
Pairs well with basil, cardamom, clove, cloves, cumin, dill, ginger, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper and thyme.
BAY LEAVES
They can be used fresh or dried, but the latter are less bitter. Because they release their flavor slowly are excellent for broths, soups, stews, sauces, marinades and brine. Combine with lemon and fennel to fill the cavity of a fish to bake, or add them to a pilaf.
You must store the dried leaves in an airtight container, which retain their flavor for at least one year.
Goes well with beef, nuts, chicken, citrus, fish, game, green beans, rice and tomatoes.
It blends well with allspice, garlic, juniper, marjoram and oregano, parsley, sage, savory and thyme
BASIL
Is the natural companion of tomatoes. However it is an excellent choice for chicken filling: Mix softened butter with chopped basil, garlic, lemon juice and a little bit of bread crumbs. Use it to stuff the chicken, preferably between the skin and flesh, and be amazed by the result!
This herb wilts easily. You can save it for a few days in the fridge, or try chopping the leaves and mix them with a little olive oil before freezing it on a tray of ice cubes.
Goes well with aubergines, green beans, cream cheese, courgettes, eggs, lemon, olives, pizza, corn and of course, tomatoes.
It blends well with capers, chives, coriander, garlic, marjoram, oregano, mint, parsley, rosemary and thyme.
OREGANO
Are essential in some cuisines, the Italian being the most striking example. It is the quintessential herb for flavoring tomatoes, but their strong flavor works very well in most grills and fillings, soups, marinades, stews and salads.
They are excellent to flavor olive oil or vinegar.
Try placing a few stems of oregano in the coals of a barbecue, and you will be surprised by the exquisite flavor that will give to food that there grilling.
Dried oregano retain their aroma and flavor for about one year when stored in airtight containers.
Goes well with vegetables in general, fish, seafood, chicken, duck, lamb, pork and veal, eggs and, of course, tomatoes.
Pairs well with basil, bay leaves, peppers, cumin, garlic, paprika, parsley and rosemary.
PARSLEY
It is perhaps, along with the coriander, the most common herbs used in Mediterranean cuisine. The most used part are the leaves, but take note: the stems are an excellent source of flavor to the broth.
You can chop them and freeze in small containers or in a tray of ice cubes. If you store it in the refrigerator, inside a plastic bag, it will last about a week.
Goes well with eggs, fish, lemon, rice, tomato and the majority of vegetables.
Pairs well with basil, bay leaves, capers, peppers, chives, garlic, marjoram and oregano, peppermint, rosemary and tarragon.
SAGE
It is composed of an herb leaf “large” and velvety, which may be green, or even grayish or purple shades. The flowers are edible and give a delicate and unique touch to salads and garnish dishes. The flavor of this herb is very strong, so it should be used very carefully. For assisting the digestion of fatty foods is often used in the production of pork dishes, goose or duck
It can be stored in the refrigerator, but only for a few days.
Goes well with apples, cheese, onions, tomatoes and fatty meats.
It goes well with bay leaf, garlic, marjoram, parsley, paprika and thyme.
THYME
The one used in our cuisine is a variety of wild thyme, a small and robust shrub grown in the Mediterranean area. Its spicy flavor does not disappear with the cooking, so it is ideal for stews and time-consuming cooking. The lemon thyme is a variant, especially recommended for fish dishes, seafood, chicken or veal.
Fresh leaves last about a week in the refrigerator, but before you buy make sure that they have a smell when gently rubbed by hand.
Goes well with carrots, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, corn and tomatoes.
It blends well with pepper, basil, bay leaves, chili, clove, cloves, garlic, lavender, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley and rosemary.