Also known as oregano. Useful and medicinal properties of oregano

Irina Kamshilina

Cooking for someone is much more pleasant than for yourself))

Content

Among the many spices of Mediterranean cuisine, there is a tart spice. Its taste is bitter, but surprisingly warm - impossible to confuse with anything. Thanks to the special piquancy, you can achieve an unforgettable taste without adding any more spices. The plant has found application not only in culinary arts, but also in folk medicine.

What is oregano

How to cook a dish with forest mint was known in ancient times. The first description of this plant is given in the source of the 1st century AD. “Joy of the mountains” - that was the name of the common oregano in Greek at that time. The name was associated with the special aroma of species growing in the mountains, with a piquant taste that could please even the most demanding gourmet.

Need to understand: oregano - what is it? The spice looks like a herbaceous perennial bush with small inflorescences, reaching a height of more than half a meter, outwardly resembles thyme. It begins to bloom not earlier than the second year of life. In cooking, fresh flowers or leaves are used, which are added to dishes, drinks, but the dried stem is stored longer. The main difference from other seasonings, such as marjoram, is a pronounced taste. Store dry oregano in a hermetically sealed container.

Oregano - useful properties

For all its usefulness, this culinary ingredient, both fresh and dried, has contraindications. These include diseases of the stomach: chronic gastritis, as well as an ulcer. If a future mother is invited to dinner, you will also have to think about how to replace wild mint or how to cook a dish without spices: its use during pregnancy is fraught with miscarriage. Even healthy people are not recommended to abuse the spice. Men should be especially careful, because an excess of seasoning can lead to a decrease in erection.

Oregano - seasoning

In cooking, fresh and dried oregano spice is used - seasoning is very much in demand. Dishes where this spice is added are varied. In Italy, it is called "grass for mushrooms", combined with meat, fish, potatoes, mushrooms and even desserts. Ice cream with forest mint is very tasty, the refreshing effect increases. You can add dried spice to a ham sandwich. Combined with lemon, garlic, and olive oil, dried oregano herb is the perfect ingredient for a marinade. They use spice for making salads, sauces - it is also very tasty.

Oregano - application

The key to the usefulness of the oregano spice is careful use, in which all substances are preserved. When preparing dishes with her, you need to follow some rules to make it both healthy and tasty. You need to add forest mint shortly before the end of cooking and in small quantities. This spice goes well with many well-known seasonings - basil, thyme. The same herbs can be used when deciding what to substitute for wild mint and how to cook something in Italian cuisine without it, although Mediterranean cooking is hard to imagine without oregano.

Sometimes, due to confusion with names, it is difficult to find the product we need. You need to be especially careful when it comes to medicinal herbs. Today we have to find out: marjoram, oregano and oregano are the same plant or not, and how to distinguish them from each other?

Similar coincidences occur quite often - not everyone can distinguish savory from thyme, and cumin from zira. The names of seasonings and spices do not always correspond to the names of the plants from which they are produced.

If you want to know, you can read about it at the link. Let's slightly open the veil of secrecy: two of the indicated names belong to one plant, and the third to a completely different one.

So remember.

Marjoram and oregano are not the same thing!

What is the difference between marjoram and oregano? Both of these plants belong to the same class (as indicated by their Latin names), but differ in species.

Origanum majorana is a plant that we simply call marjoram. It is extremely thermophilic, and, therefore, grows in freedom only in southern countries. It has a pleasant spicy smell, slightly camphoric, very similar to the aroma of cardamom. The taste is spicy and also spicy. Dried and crushed, it is a fairly popular seasoning for many dishes, including meat and potato soups and sauces. Another name for it is “sausage grass”, and marjoram received it, respectively, because it is one of the main spices added to various sausages. Great with fatty fried meats.

To learn more, check out our article.

Origanum vulgare is a plant known to us as oregano. It has an unpretentious character and grows almost throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation, with the exception of the far north and some regions of Siberia. Prefers forests and forest edges, as well as meadows, clearings and fields. Its taste is familiar to our compatriots, mainly from herbal teas. This herb is very often used for medicinal purposes in a variety of diseases, in particular, in diseases of the biliary tract and liver, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, flatulence, constipation, bronchitis, colds, reduced immunity, hypertension, viral infections, boils, gynecological inflammation and relief of menopause in women.

More details about this are discussed in our article, you can read it here. Origanum vulgaris also bears the names of the mainland, bee-lover, zenovka, amulet, matserdushka and, attention; oregano!

Remember.

Oregano and oregano: the same plant!

The seasoning oregano, mentioned in many recipes, is nothing more than oregano! True, most often for the preparation of spices, it is not collected in the forests, but grown in special areas. So, France, for example, and several other countries are doing this. Seasoning is also suitable for most meat dishes, as well as for some types of mushrooms. Cucumbers are also salted with oregano, added to the filling for pies. The aroma is calmer, but also tart.

What is the difference between marjoram, oregano and oregano?

Despite the fact that marjoram and oregano-oregano are different plants, in cooking they can replace each other quite well in the absence of a “relative”. Both spices are suitable for meat, used in soups. Unless, marjoram, nevertheless, unlike oregano, should not be added to tea.

Some dishes would not be so tasty and original without spicy spices added to them. Oregano, a plant known from ancient times, has an incomparable taste and magnificent aroma. Oregano or oregano - what is it and what is it eaten with?

Oregano is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family. It has small oblong-ovate leaves and small, two-lipped, pinkish-white flowers, collected in spikelets, forming a panicle. This plant is common in Russia, as well as in Europe and the Mediterranean. It grows on the slopes of mountains, edges and clearings. Translated from Greek, the word "oregano" is interpreted as "mountain decoration". An alternative name is common oregano.

Oregano has an amazing aroma.

By the way, oregano has long been a well-known plant, it was mentioned in his writings by the ancient Greek physician and philosopher Hippocrates.

The main use of oregano is in cooking. The dried and crushed leaves of the plant are used as a condiment.

Useful properties of seasoning

Oregano is also used in medicine. Medicinal infusions, decoctions and teas are prepared from the leaves, stems and flowers of the plant. Oregano is also applicable externally - lotions and compresses with it effectively heal wounds. Baths with the addition of oregano tone and improve well-being.

This is interesting. The legend says that on the island of Crete, animals wounded by hunters - deer, wild goats - looked for and ate precisely oregano (it was also called ash tree). The animals ate the grass, and the arrows soon came out of their bodies by themselves. The wounds healed, and if the arrow was poisonous, the ash tree neutralized the effect of toxic substances. People noticed this interesting feature and began to use oregano for medicinal purposes, and soon discovered other properties of this plant.

Main health benefits of oregano:

• Wound healing. Lotions and compresses based on herbs are suitable for quickly tightening wounds.
• Antimicrobial. Infusions and decoctions of oregano neutralize the action of harmful microorganisms that enter the body along with poor-quality food.
• Antispasmodic. The gentle action of oregano can relieve spasm and reduce pain.
• Painkiller. Oil of oregano is used in the treatment of diseased teeth and joints.
• Soothing. By adding oregano to food, you can get rid of disorders of the nervous system and improve sleep.

Oregano is also very beneficial for women. It can be taken to relieve painful periods. Oregano is also relevant for nursing mothers suffering from a lack of milk. Oregano infusions are recommended to prevent diseases of the genitourinary system. During menopause, the plant helps fight hormonal disruptions.

Oregano is also useful for gastrointestinal problems: it normalizes stools, improves the digestion process, and has a mild laxative effect.

A decoction of oregano helps fight colds by eliminating coughs. In general, this plant is recommended for respiratory diseases: asthma, tuberculosis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, acute pharyngitis. In such cases, not only decoctions help, but also rinses based on oregano.

Oregano compresses and applications help fight eczema, neurodermatitis and acne.

Traditional healers use the plant to treat alcoholism.

What dishes are spices added to?

Oregano is a seasoning with a bright bitter-spicy taste. In cooking, both fresh and dried leaves of the plant are used. In addition, the flower buds of the plant can also be used as part of spices.

Together with basil, oregano is considered an indispensable ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine.

The original taste and aroma of oregano are used in the cooking process:

• various spicy mixtures of herbs;
• pickling vegetables;
• pasta, pizza;
• bakery products;
• a variety of sauces (especially tomato);
• pickling fish;
• baked potatoes;
• meat-based soups;
• bean dishes;
• scrambled eggs and omelettes;
• homemade sausage;
• fried and stewed meat.

What can replace oregano

What can replace oregano? The taste of the spice is bright and unique. However, the plant has many relatives that can replace oregano in case of its absence.

Marjoram is considered the closest to oregano in taste. Sometimes oil from oregano is replaced with marjoram and the difference is almost not noticeable. A good substitute would be basil mixed with mint or parsley in tandem with dill. Slightly reminiscent of oregano cumin and thyme. You can use a mixture of "Provencal herbs" instead of oregano.

But! You should be aware that the listed herbs do not even have the approximate beneficial properties that oregano differs from.

How and how much to add oregano

The main principle in the use of oregano seasoning is moderation. The strong aroma of spices sprinkled in large quantities can spoil the dish.

How to add oregano:

Take a dry spoon, measure the amount of spice indicated in the recipe. Do not pour seasoning from a jar into a hot dish that emits steam. Rising moisture can spoil the oregano that has become in the jar, because of which the latter will stick together into a lump. Fresh grass before use should be finely chopped and mashed with your hands. This will release the unique aroma of oregano.

Advice. Sometimes the exact amount of spice is not indicated in the recipe. In this case, you should first add a quarter teaspoon of seasoning to 4 servings (500 g) of meat and minced meat. Add 1 tsp to the sauce and pasta. freshly cut or dried herbs, in a salad - 0.5 tsp.

When to add oregano:

Fresh leaves are added at the end of cooking to give a bright flavor. The stew is seasoned with seasoning also at the end of cooking. When cooking broth, in combination with other herbs, all plants must be tied in a bundle and put in a gauze bag. It is dipped into the pan, and after cooking the broth is thrown away. In soft cheese, salads and fruit desserts, spice is added in advance. This gives the dish the opportunity to soak in the aroma of oregano.

Despite the obvious positive qualities, oregano spice is not recommended for use in some cases:

• serious pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
• acute forms of gastrointestinal diseases;
• kidney disease;
• individual intolerance to plant components;
• pregnancy (excessive use of spices can provoke uterine contractions, as a result - a miscarriage).

Do not forget that the use of oregano can affect the effect of some medications.

Men should take into account that oregano has a strong relaxing effect, and therefore may not have the best effect on potency. Regular use of infusions and decoctions of oregano can even lead to sexual impotence.

Oregano is a perennial plant used in cooking and medicine. The bright taste and spicy aroma make oregano leaves a popular spice in many countries. Seasoning oregano is used in Italian, Belgian, Caucasian and many other cuisines.

When you hear the word "oregano" for the first time, you involuntarily wonder, what is it and what does this plant look like? Oregano, or oregano in Russian, is a perennial herb with excellent medicinal and aromatic properties.

It is a small shrub with a height of 50 to 70 cm with a straight stem branching in the upper part and with oblong leaves that are bright green on top and grayish, slightly silvery below.

In mid-summer, oregano blooms with small white, pink or lilac flowers. What the oregano seasoning looks like can be seen in the photo below.

Oregano is native to Europe, but it is now a herbaceous plant that grows all over the world. In Russia, oregano habitats are glades, forest edges, hillsides, and dry meadows.

Useful properties of oregano

Oregano contains many essential oils that have bactericidal, antibacterial, disinfectant and antimicrobial properties.

decoction of herbs

Used in folk medicine to treat colds, flu and indigestion.

The active substances of the plant improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, remove toxins and harmful substances, and also have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, have a calming effect.

Oregano is rich in antioxidants, vitamins (A, group B, C, E, K, beta-carotene) and minerals (iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, calcium, etc.).

This is interesting! Oregano has many times the antioxidant properties of popular foods! Per gram, oregano has 12 times more antioxidants than oranges, 4 times more than blueberries, and 30 times more than potatoes.

Essential oil

Oregano contains carvacrol, thymol and rosmarinic acid. The benefits of oil and carvacrol have been scientifically proven by scientists from the West of England and Indian scientists.

They compared the effects of well-known antibiotics and oregano oil. As a result of the experiment, it was found that the essential oil can kill antibiotic-resistant microbes, and even Staphylococcus aureus.

Oregano oil is available in capsules or liquid form in bottles at health food stores or pharmacies. It is also recommended to use oregano essential oil as an aromatherapy as a tonic, stimulant.

The use of oregano in cooking

Oregano is used in cooking both fresh and dried, using only the leaves and flowers of the plant. The seasoning has a specific taste and aroma, it is slightly bitter, slightly spicy.

fresh leaves

Oregano can be added to salads, meat dishes or seafood. Beautiful green grass will add a unique flavor to them! For more flavor, before adding dried oregano, it is recommended to grind it in your hands.

As a seasoning, oregano is used to prepare various sauces and marinades. And Italian pizza and pasta is already hard to imagine without this fragrant seasoning!

Nowadays, olive oil with the addition of various herbs, spices or garlic is popular.

sprigs of oregano

Perfectly complement the taste and aroma of olive oil! The main thing to remember is that aromatic oil should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than one week.

Oregano pairs well with marjoram, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, and basil.

Important! When using oregano for the first time in cooking, be careful! Add seasoning to dishes little by little, not every gourmet will like its taste.

Dishes

Here is a list of dishes that you can add oregano to refresh the taste:

1. - baked potato;
2. - omelets;
3. - pasta;
4. - homemade kvass;
5. – aromatization of beer;
6. - bakery products;
7. - fried sausages;
8. - shashlik;
9. - tea.

Choosing oregano

Fresh and dried oregano is commonly found in supermarkets in the herbs and spices section. Fresh herbs are the richest in vitamins and essential oils.

It is better when choosing to give preference in her favor and at home dry or freeze the seasoning on your own. When buying, pay attention to the quality of greens.

The stem should be firm and the leaves should be bright green. Be sure to inspect the bush, there should be no traces of mold and yellowed leaves. Fresh oregano should be stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator, dried - in a glass airtight container.

How to grow oregano

You always want to be sure of the quality of this or that product that the greens are organic and have not been processed with various pesticides. To do this, you can plant oregano seeds in your area.

When sowing seeds directly into the ground, flowering usually occurs only in the second year. When growing seedlings, it is likely that oregano will bloom in the year of planting.

It should be remembered that oregano grass loves open, flat and well-lit areas. The soil for planting is moderately moist and fertile, without weeds. From the moment of planting to full-fledged plants, it will take about two months.

Like any plant, oregano requires attention and care. She needs moderate watering, the plant does not like drought, but an excess of moisture will also benefit.

The first two seasons you need to regularly remove weeds and loosen the soil. After three seasons, weeding can be eliminated, as the plant has already developed enough.

Remember to periodically fertilize the post and renew the site every five years. With proper care, oregano will grow for decades!

We continue our story about amazing spices, and our today's hero is oregano! Let's answer the main question: Yes, oregano and oregano are the same thing.

From the article you will learn:

Oregano (oregano) - what is it?

Oregano (English name Oregano, Latin Origanum vulgare) is a wild variety. However, it has a rougher, stronger flavor with undertones and warm notes.

This spice is considered one of the foundations of Greek and Italian cuisine. It is valued for its excellent pairing with tomato-based dishes and its versatility. The taste of oregano is largely dependent on its environment. A shrub grown in cooler northern climates has a more bitter taste. The Italian or Sicilian subspecies is distinguished by sweet and spicy notes, and is considered a hybrid of true oregano and marjoram.

Oregano - medicinal properties

Oregano is useful in any form, we have a whole article about the benefits of oregano oil, its healing properties are impressive!

Oil is a powerful natural remedy that can compete with antibiotics when it comes to treating or preventing various infections.

Here are the benefits of fresh and dried leaves:

Improves immunity
The two most important components of the spice are thymol and rosmarinic acid. These substances are powerful antioxidants. They help break down the by-products of cell metabolism that cause cancer and other dangerous diseases. Thus, the inclusion of spices in the diet improves your immunity and increases resistance to “silent killers”.

Aid in digestion
The leaves contain a lot of fiber. In addition, fiber is an essential element of a healthy digestive system. Fiber aids digestion and activates the extraction of nutrients from food. Therefore, the food you eat brings you more benefit.

Bacteria
Due to the presence of carvacrol and thymol, oregano becomes a real thunderstorm of bacteria. This tandem protects the body from most bacteria. In addition, the spice is known as a stimulant that increases the production of white blood cells and speeds up metabolism. This leads to accelerated recovery in most diseases.

The leaves and oil stimulate metabolism due to the high content of vitamin B. Thus, the rejuvenation process is launched, weight loss becomes more effective.

Improves heart health
The high content of omega-3 acids strengthens the heart muscle. Also, omega-3 helps to avoid inflammation in the cardiovascular system and keep cholesterol levels under control. Thus contributing to the prevention of atherosclerosis, heart attacks and stroke!

Takes care of bone health
Iron, manganese and calcium are essential to the health of your bones. The leaves contain a large amount of these minerals. An essential supplement for the prevention of osteoporosis.

Detoxifies the body
Manganese, calcium, iron, and vitamin K make oregano a great tool for detoxifying the body. According to studies, liver function is also stimulated, which allows faster removal of toxins.

Oregano contraindications

Individual allergic reactions are possible when consumed with food or tactile contact.

The use of oregano in cooking, where to add it?

The spice is most popular in Mediterranean cuisine. Most often seasoning is used in salads, pizza, pastas and fish dishes. In Turkish cuisine, dried leaves are used to flavor meat. The most popular use in Russia is oregano tea.

1. Oregano + Chicken: Oregano goes great with chicken. Roasted, baked or stewed, it doesn't matter, oregano is perfect for any version. Whisk chopped oregano into the marinade or add whole sprigs to the inside of the chicken before cooking.
2. Bread with oregano: Add a few tablespoons of crushed oregano to the batter for an amazing spiced bread.
3. Seasoning for burgers: Fresh oregano (you can get away with dried) will make your burgers taste richer and brighter.
4. Oregano + Beans: This combination is made in heaven! Chop a few tablespoons of fresh oregano. Add it to the pot of beans fifteen minutes before they are done. Unsurpassed aroma is guaranteed to you.
5. Oregano Pesto: Yes, basil isn't the only herb you can use to make pesto! Oregano pesto is stronger and richer.

Video recipe: Pasta with shrimp, garlic and oregano

Popular recipes with oregano

Where to buy oregano?

An excellent selection of this herb is available on OZON:

How to grow and dry oregano?

We have prepared full-fledged materials on this topic. Read how to grow oregano And how to dry oregano by links.

What can replace oregano (oregano)?

As you know, methane is 20 times more effective than carbon dioxide in creating a greenhouse effect. And cows produce about 5.5 million tons of methane per year. Scientists around the world have been trying to figure out how to reduce methane emissions from livestock. Vaccines and antibiotics did not give the desired results.

After six years of research, a Pennsylvania assistant professor found that oregano was the most effective methane suppressant. The use of the spice even increased milk production.

Oregano nutritional value

* Based on a daily allowance of 2000 calories. Your individual values ​​may vary.

conclusions

Summing up, it is probably easier to describe what useful properties the oregano (oregano) does not have. We will not list all the pros again. The conclusion suggests itself: oregano is a definite must-have for your kitchen and first aid kit! Do you know something else about the benefits of oregano - share in the comments.