Briz is a perennial semi-shrub up to 50 cm tall with elongated leaves and fragrant flowers that form loose spike-like inflorescences in June-July. The plant is distinguished by its strong aroma and pleasant taste, making it a popular seasoning for salads, vegetable, fish, and meat dishes, pasta, cheeses, as well as for flavoring tea, compotes, and marinades.
In folk medicine, briz is used for bronchitis, colitis, gastritis, and liver and kidney diseases. For therapeutic purposes, dried leaves are used - infusions are prepared from them, which help alleviate symptoms of these diseases. Leaves can also be used as an aromatic additive to canned goods, sausages, and cheeses.
For cultivation, briz prefers fertile soils, a heat-loving climate and is resistant to heat and frost (can withstand temperatures down to -30 °C). Sowing seeds is done in spring or under snow in open ground; the first leaf harvest usually occurs in September of the same year, and in subsequent years, the plant can be harvested 2-3 times per season starting in June. Briz is easy to grow and can remain productive for up to five years in one place.
