Oregano (,
Oregano is a woody perennial plant, growing to tall, with opposite leaves long. The flowers which can be white, pink or light purple, are long, and produced in erect spikes in summer. It is sometimes called wild marjoram, while its close relative O. majorana is known as sweet marjoram. Both are widely used as Herb, especially in Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Latin, and French cuisine. Oregano is also an ornamental plant, with numerous bred for varying leaf colour, flower colour and habit.
Etymology
The English word "oregano" is a borrowing of the Spanish orégano, which derives from the Latin orīganum, which itself comes from
Classical Greek ὀρίγανον (
orī́ganon).
The ultimate origin is disputed; some claim it is a compound Greek term that consists of ὄρος (
óros) meaning "mountain", and γάνος (
gános) meaning "joy", thus, "joy of the mountain"
[ while The Oxford English Dictionary states it is "probably a loanword as the plant comes from Africa".]
Description
Oregano is a perennial,
It grows to tall and wide.
Oregano is related to the herb marjoram, sometimes being referred to as wild marjoram.
Chemistry
Oregano contains , including numerous flavones.
The essential oil of oregano is composed primarily of and , with the relative concentration of each compound varying widely across geographic origin and other factors. Over 60 different compounds have been identified, with the primary ones being carvacrol and thymol ranging to over 80%, while lesser abundant compounds include , , caryophyllene, spathulenol, germacrene D, β-fenchyl alcohol and .
Drying of the plant material affects both quantity and distribution of volatile compounds, with methods using higher heat and longer drying times having greater negative impact. A sample of fresh whole plant material found to contain 33 g/kg dry weight (3.1 g/kg wet) decreased to below a third after warm-air convection drying. Much higher concentrations of volatile compounds are achieved towards the end of the growing season.
Taxonomy
Many subspecies and strains of oregano have been developed by humans over centuries for their unique flavours or other characteristics. Tastes range from spicy or astringent to more complicated and sweet. Simple oregano sold in garden stores as O. vulgare may have a bland taste and larger, less-dense leaves, and is not considered the best for culinary use, with a taste less remarkable and pungent. It can pollinate other more sophisticated strains, but the offspring are rarely better in quality.
The related species Origanum onites (Greece, Turkey) and O. syriacum (West Asia) have similar flavours. A closely related plant is marjoram from Turkey, which differs significantly in taste because natural phenol are missing from its essential oil. Some varieties show a flavour intermediate between oregano and marjoram.
Subspecies
Accepted subspecies:
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O. v. subsp. glandulosum (Desf.) Ietsw. – Tunisia, Algeria
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O. v. subsp. gracile (K.Koch) Ietsw. (= O. tyttanthum) has glossy green leaves and pink flowers. It grows well in pots or containers, and is more often grown for added ornamental value than other oregano. The flavor is pungent and spicy.
[ – Central Asia, Iran, India, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan.
]
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O. v. subsp. hirtum (Link) Ietsw. – (Italian oregano, Greek oregano) is a common source of cultivars with a different aroma
[ from those of O. v. gracile. Growth is vigorous and very hardy, with darker green, slightly hairy foliage. Generally, it is considered the best all-purpose culinary subspecies. – Greece, Balkans, Turkey, Cyprus
]
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O. v. subsp. virens (Hoffmanns. & Link) Ietsw. – Iberian Peninsula, Macaronesia, Morocco
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O. v. subsp. viridulum (Martrin-Donos) Nyman – widespread from Corsica to Nepal
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O. v. subsp. vulgare – widespread across Europe + Asia from Ireland to China; naturalized in North America + Venezuela
Cultivars
Example of oregano include:
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'Aureum' – golden foliage (greener if grown in shade), mild taste: It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit
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'Greek Kaliteri' – O. v. subsp. hirtum strains/, small, hardy, dark, compact, thick, silvery-haired leaves, usually with purple undersides, excellent reputation for flavor and pungency, as well as medicinal uses, strong, archetypal oregano flavor (Greek kaliteri: the best)
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'Hot & Spicy' – O. v. subsp. hirtum strain
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'Nana' – dwarf cultivar
Cultivars traded as Italian, Sicilian, etc. are usually hardy sweet marjoram ( O. × majoricum), a hybrid between the southern Adriatic O. v. subsp. hirtum and sweet marjoram ( O. majorana). They have a reputation for sweet and spicy tones, with little bitterness, and are prized for their flavor and compatibility with various recipes and sauces.
Cultivation
Oregano is planted in early spring, the plants being spaced apart in fairly dry soil, with full sun. It will grow in a pH range between 6.0 (mildly acidic) and 9.0 (strongly alkaline), with a preferred range between 6.0 and 8.0. It prefers a hot, relatively dry climate, but does well in other environments.
Uses
Culinary
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, but cultivars adapted to colder climates may have a lesser flavour. Factors such as climate, season, and soil composition may affect the aromatic oils present, and this effect may be greater than the differences between the various species of plants. Among the chemical compounds contributing to the flavour are carvacrol, thymol, limonene, pinene, ocimene, and caryophyllene.
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 Northern Italy, where marjoram is preferred. It became popular in the U.S. after soldiers returning from World War II brought back a taste for the "pizza herb", which had probably been eaten in Southern Italy for centuries.
Oregano is widely used in of the Mediterranean Basin and Latin America, especially in Mexican cuisine and Argentine cuisine. In Turkish cuisine, oregano is mostly used for flavouring 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. In Spain, apart from seasoning, it is used in preparations of a variety of traditional dishes such as morcilla (Iberian pig blood sausage) and adobo sauce for fish and meat. 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.
Oregano oil
Oregano oil has been used in folk medicine over centuries.
In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned a Utah company, Young Living, that its herbal products, including oregano essential oil, were being promoted to have numerous unproven anti-disease effects, and so were being sold as unauthorized misbranded drugs subject to seizure and federal penalties.
Other plants called "oregano"
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Coleus amboinicus, known as Cuban oregano, orégano poleo ('Hedeoma oregano'), orégano francés ('French oregano'), Mexican mint, Mexican thyme, and many other names, is also of the mint family (Lamiaceae). It has large and somewhat succulent leaves. Common throughout the tropics, including Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, it is probably of eastern-hemisphere origin.
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Lippia graveolens, Mexican oregano, known in Spanish as orégano cimarrón ('wild oregano'), is not in the mint family, but in the related vervain family (Verbenaceae). The flavor of Mexican oregano has a stronger savory component instead of the piney hint of rosemary-like flavor in true oregano, and its citrus accent might be more aromatic than in oregano. It is becoming more commonly sold outside of Mexico, especially in the southeastern United States. It is sometimes used as a substitute for epazote leaves.
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Hedeoma patens, known in Spanish as orégano chiquito ('small oregano'), is also among the Lamiaceae. It is used as an herb in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahuila.
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Poliomintha longiflora, common names: Mexican oregano and rosemary mint, is native to Mexico and also grown and used in the United States.
See also
External links
