Edible Herbs (Part 4)

(The fourth part of 灶王 [zao wang] - The Kitchen God Series)

I believe that gradually, herbs as well as spices, will become a part of your everyday cooking. Not only they enrich the flavour of your already awesomely awesome dishes, but also add colour and some vitamins. Since they are, of course, the tastiest when fresh, most of them can be easily grown at your home all year round. Here is a simple list of what you can do with following herbs:

• Basil – probably the most popular herb in European or Thai cuisine. Thais grow three kinds of basil:
  

• Thai basil - the most popular one. Valued for its sweet aniseed aroma, it is also known as Sweet basil, and can be substituted for the traditional European basil. I also possess its cultivate called Purple Ruffles.
  

• Holy basil - tastes more like cloves and is fairly spicy. Its true aroma escapes when cooked, therefore it is never eaten in salads.
  

• Hairy basil - slightly lemony taste, very refreshing. The most amusing to me is the translation of its Latin Ocimum Americanum into the local ´Hairy`kind :)

My little basil collection (from left to the right): Hairy basil, Purple Ruffles and Sweet Basil.

• Bay leaf - popular in soups, stews and other sautéed dishes. Bay leaf (particularly its powdered form) looses its aroma very quickly, therefore should be kept in an air-tight container.

• Celery - very aromatic and a pretty bitter herb, so be careful with amounts. Goes well with tomato sauces.

• Chives – there are several types of chives, depending on their origin. Western chives are tubular, while Chinese, or garlic chives are longer and flatter. They latter ones also often have little flower buds up top that are delicious stir fried.

• Coriander leaves (Chinese parsley, cilantro) – the most popular herb in Indian or Chinese cuisine. Used both, at the beginning of cooking as a curry ingredient, or at the end as an aromatic garnish. In Thailand, the whole herb is used (including stems and even roots).

• Curry leaf - my personal most favourite herb. The combination of fried curry leaves together with mustard seeds and a pinch of asafoetida will add the final 'kick' to any dry curry dish you have ever made.

• Dill - famous all over the world. Here in Scandinavia, you cannot get a fish without it. In Slavic cuisines, a milky dill sauce is quite popular. In India, dill with rice or dill with spinach are common combinations. And just for the record, Tom hates dill and refuses to believe in its insomnia-negative effects...

• Fenugreek leaf (methi) - only used in Indian cooking. For a short time period in summer, the young leaves, about 7 cm tall, with more delicate flavor are harvested. For the rest of the year, 25 cm long ones are available. Methi has a unique bitter taste. The dried version, Kasuri methi is not of the same botanical origin and since it is quite strong in flavor, only a pinch should do. Fenugreek seeds are also used in Indian cooking to add flavor o curries.
  

• Kaffir lime leaf – very thinly sliced and added to fish stews or curry dishes to release their aromatic and soury flavour. Freeze the leaves if you are not going to use them up within a month.

• Marjoram – my second favorite herb, particularly when used in European cuisine, together with its botanical sister Oregano. I am sure, you will also appreciate its citrusy flavor, next time you are making pasta sauce.

• Mint – very aromatic, mostly used in Thai salads as a garnish or in drinks (Who wouldn't know Mojito, yummy). If cooked, it is usually added towards the end, since fried mint leaves turn black very easily and will spoil the color of the whole curry. I grow lemon balm mint, which is milder in aroma and has more sweeter and slightly lemony taste.

• Oregano - another one of famous Italian herbs used in pasta sauces, meat or veggie sauteed dishes. Particularly appreciated in southern regions, since oregano is the only Italian herb that goes very well with spicy cuisine.

Oregano and marjoram

• Parsley – as for Europe, it is enjoyed exactly the same way as its botanical sister Coriander in Asia. Two most famous types include curly parsley or flat leaf parsley; both are very easy to grow at home.
  

• Rosemary – The fresh and dried leaves are used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine. Its bitter taste complements oily foods, such as lamb, potatoes or fish.

• Sage – popular in baking as well as for its medicinal purposes. Sage is considered being an all-cure. As for tea, it is believed to relieve stomach pain as well as cure sore throat. As for cooking,widely used for baking, eases up the digestion of legumes or root vegetables.

• Savory – best known for its flavoring beans or as a seasoning in salt-free diets. Savory has long been reputed to be a general tonic to the digestive tract, as well as a powerful antiseptic or disinfect. Even today, it is commonly used in toothpaste or soaps.

• Tarragon – also called the "King of Herbs" by the French, since it is the main flavoring in many of their sauces, such as barnaise, rigavote and tartare. Together with chopped sprigs of fresh parsley, chives, and chervil, you have the traditional seasoning blend known as fines herbs.
  

• French tarragon - its worldwide popularity lies in sweeter taste and more delicate leaves

• Russian tarragon - more bitter and tougher :)
  

• Thyme – a key element in the traditional aromatic blend Herbes de Provence or one of the primary components in a classic bouquet garni. There are over 100 varieties of thyme, but here are the three most popular ones:

• Lemon thyme - great for seasoning seafood, fish or to lighten up the fatty dishes. In medicine, lemon thyme is believed to cure asthma.
  

• Caraway thyme - particularly tasty in combination with garlic and wine. Very easy to grow, since it reproduces superb quickly.
  

• Common thyme - takes its time to release the flavor, so make sure you are stewing it for a long time

Do you guys know any kick-ass self-explanatory herb and spice poster that I could stick on my wall in the kitchen ? I see them in Asian stores a lot, here, around the town... (jealous)