Common Oregano, The Pizza Herb

Origanum vulgare and cultivars + other species
Family: Lamiaceae
Perennial Herb

Most of the time, when oregano is being referenced, it is this plant, a native of the Mediterranean region. It is an aromatic, spreading perennial with flowers that can range from white to pink or purple in spring and summer.

Oregano is a culinary herb, used for the flavour of its leaves, which can be more intense when dried than fresh. It has an earthy, warm, and slightly bitter taste, which can vary in intensity. Good-quality oregano may be strong enough to almost numb the tongue. Among the chemical compounds contributing to the flavour are carvacrol, thymol, limonene, pinene, ocimene, and caryophyllene.

The botanical name Origanum vulgare comes from the Greek oros for “mountain” and ganos for “joy,” named for its favorite growth habit – the warm, dry mountainsides of Greece. Oregano was cultivated in France since the Middle Ages and is a major component of Mediterranean cuisine. The herb was unknown to Americans until the 20th century when soldiers returning from World War I brought Oregano back from Italy. There are many plants that are referred to as “Oregano” because they contain high amounts of carvacrol, which is responsible for the flavor profile indicative of Oregano.

This plant can mound up to 1-2’ high, and can spread almost indefinitely. Plants may go dormant or semi-dormant in winter. They may just become more purple.

Beware that there are 57 species of Origanum, most with aromatic compounds. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. Only a few are common in cultivation.

USES

Oregano is the staple herb of Italian cuisine, most frequently used with roasted, fried, or grilled vegetables, meat, and fish. Oregano combines well with spicy foods popular in Southern Italy. It is less commonly used in the north of the country, as marjoram is generally preferred. Its popularity in the U.S. began when soldiers returning from World War II brought back with them a taste for the "pizza herb", which had probably been eaten in Southern Italy for centuries.

Oregano is widely used in cuisines of the Mediterranean Basin and Latin America, especially in Mexican cuisine and Argentine cuisine. In Turkish cuisine, oregano is mostly used for flavoring meat, especially mutton and lamb. In barbecue and kebab restaurants, it can be usually found as a condiment, together with paprika, salt, and pepper.

During the summer, generous amounts of dried oregano are often added as a topping to a tomato and cucumber salad in Portugal, but it can be used to season meat and fish dishes as well. The dried and ground leaves are most often used in Greece to add flavour to Greek salad, and is usually added to the lemon-olive oil sauce that accompanies fish or meat grills and casseroles. In Albania, dried oregano is often used to make herbal tea which is especially popular in the northern part of Albania.

PRESERVATION

This herb is wonderful dried, though it can lose its potency after some time. Dry some oregano every 6 months to keep your spice cabinet full of flavor.

GROWING

SEASON & PLANTING
Oregano is a perennial that can be planted most any time. Plants are usually available in nurseries.

SOIL & NUTRITION
Oregano perfers well-drained, amended garden soil.

TEMPERATURE & SUN EXPOSURE
Plant in full to part sun, but avoid reflective heat from sidewalks, walls, or gravel. Afternoon shade in the summer isn’t a bad idea. Don’t over-shade oregano, it will become weak and buggy.

WATER
As long as the drainage is good, regular water is best for oregano.

HARVESTING
Harvest as needed, clipping the tips of the plant.

WILDLIFE
Plants may get buggy (noctuid moth larvae) if they are in too much shade.

INVASIVENESS
Oregano does not seem to escape cultivation in our region.

POPULAR SELECTIONS

Aureum golden foliage (greener if grown in shade), mild taste

Greek one of the preferred oreganos, more savory and earthy than Italian

Italian not as strong as the Greek oregano but one of the most popular oreganos. Italian oregano is thought to be a hybrid

Hot & Spicy supposedly a spicier oregano

Nana dwarf cultivar

Marjoram sweeter with different aromatic compounds, this is another species of oregano (Origanum majorana).

Mexican this is an entirely different species (Lippia graveolens), and it will be addressed in a separate post, but this is very strong and preferred in Mexican cuisine because it holds up to spice. There are some other plants also referred to as “Mexican oregano” in the genus Poliomintha. All these plants are larger bushes

Turkish this one is more pungent than Greek or Italian

Zaatar or Syrian this is the name of a spice blend but also of a specific species of oregano used in the Middle East, Origanum syriacum. This plant is more upright and bushier than these other oregano cultivars, and also more woolly

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Muskmallow (Abelmoschus rhodopetalus)

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Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)