Oregano (Origanum vulgare), also known as wild marjoram, is a perennial herbaceous plant that blooms from May to September on meadows, forest edges, and mountain slopes, especially in the Mountain Crimea. In cuisine, oregano is valued for its delicate peppery taste, which perfectly complements meat dishes, seafood, salads, and soups. The spice can be used fresh or dried, added to tomato sauces, spaghetti, sausages, vegetable and egg dishes, as well as cheeses, tea, and kvass.
Oregano contains essential oils (thymol, carvacrol), phenols, sesquiterpenoids, monoterpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, vitamin C, and tannins. These components give the plant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties.
For therapeutic use, oregano is used as an infusion: 2 tablespoons of the raw material are poured with 200 ml of hot boiled water, heated in a water bath for 15 minutes, then cooled to room temperature and filtered. The resulting infusion is taken half a glass twice a day 15 minutes before meals. Juice from flowering herb can be taken with honey (1:3) three times a day also 15 minutes before meals. Infusion and juice are used for respiratory system diseases, gastritis, liver disorders, hypertension, convulsions, epilepsy, neurasthenia, hypersexuality, and painful menstruation.
