Oregano is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family, known for its fragrant floral aroma with notes of camphor and a sweetly-spicy taste. It is widely used in cooking as a seasoning for meat, fish, and vegetable dishes, especially rich ones, due to its ability to aid digestion. In German cuisine, oregano is called "sausage herb" because it goes perfectly with sausages and other meat products.
Oregano's composition is rich in essential oils, vitamins (C, carotene), rutin, pectin, and tannins. These components give the spice its characteristic sharp-spicy taste and make it a valuable addition to canning: pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, marrows, and sauerkraut often involves adding oregano.
For preparing dishes, oregano can be used both as fresh greens and dried leaves. Fresh leaves are best added at the end of cooking – then their soft aroma and sweetness are preserved. When dried, leaves reach maximum flavor concentration before the plant begins to flower. Oregano easily combines with thyme, oregano, basil, and pepper, and is suitable for veal, beef, mutton, roasted poultry, and fish.
