Chapter 20 · Salt, herbs and spices
20.2 Herbs
How much dried herb to use in place of fresh, and why fresh herbs go in late and dried ones early, are covered with seasoning. see chapter 6: Fresh and dried herbs
Herbs that dry well, and herbs that do not
The general rule hides big differences between herbs.
- Stronger dried. Marjoram is one of the few herbs that gains flavor when it is dried.
- Better dried. Fresh bay leaves are more bitter, so cooks often choose dried ones.
- Dry well. Sage, savory and thyme all keep their character when dried.
- Weaker dried. Dried sweet basil is easy to find, but its flavor is clearly weaker.
- Spoiled by drying. Dried rosemary loses flavor and its needles turn hard and unpleasant in the mouth. Dried tarragon can taste of hay. Drying wipes out the flavor of cilantro entirely, and dried curry leaves have almost none, so buy curry leaves fresh, or frozen if fresh are not available.
Figure 20.2What drying does to an herb
Herbs that cannot take much heat
Some herbs lose their flavor fast in the pot.
- Chervil should not be heated for long.
- Chives should not cook for long or at high heat. They are at their best snipped with scissors, or chopped with care, and scattered over a finished soup or sauce.
- Cilantro should not be heated at all.
- Dill leaves lose their aroma and flavor as they cook, so stir them in only once the dish is off the heat.
Herbs that go in whole and come out again
Tough, strong leaves can flavor a long-cooked liquid and then be lifted out.
- Dried bay leaves go in whole at the start and come out once the dish has taken enough flavor.
- Whole rosemary stems can be simmered in a stew and removed the same way.
- Curry leaves often go in whole and come out before serving, though they can also be minced for marinades and sauces.
- Lime leaves are used much as bay leaves are, in Thai and other Asian soups and stews.
Bay leaves, parsley stems, thyme and rosemary can all go into a bouquet garni, and bay is a standard part of a court bouillon. see chapter 9: Poaching liquids
Herbs that like to work alone
Mint and sage both have flavors that do not mix well with other herbs. Mint is kept to particular dishes, usually fruit or fatty meat such as lamb, and it goes well with chocolate. Sage is used with poultry and fatty meat.
Buying fresh herbs
Look for color and freshness. Basil should have bright green leaves, with no flower buds and no wilted or rusty leaves. Cilantro should have no yellow or discolored leaves, and its tough stems should not be used. Choose bright green curry leaves.
What good fresh herbs smell and look like in general is covered earlier. see chapter 6: Fresh and dried herbs
A guide to the herbs
| Herb | What it is like | How cooks use it |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet basil | Soft, light green leaves; a strong, warm, slightly peppery taste with a hint of clove. Other kinds taste of cinnamon, garlic, lemon or even chocolate. | Mediterranean and some Southeast Asian food; especially good with garlic and tomatoes. |
| Opal basil | Purple, tougher and crinkled, with a medium-strong taste | Can stand in for sweet basil; its color makes a striking garnish. |
| Bay leaf (sweet laurel) | Tough, glossy leaves; sweet balsamic smell and peppery taste. Ancient Rome made crowns of them for emperors and winning athletes. | Essential in French cooking; added whole and taken out. |
| Chervil | Delicate, like parsley with the smell of anise | French cooking; one of the fines herbes. |
| Chives | The most delicate of the onion family; thin, hollow green stems and pale purple flowers. Mild onion taste. | Eggs, poultry, potatoes, fish and shellfish; the flowers are a garnish. Sold fresh, dried or quick-frozen. |
| Garlic chives (Chinese chives) | A different plant: flat, solid stems and a mild garlic taste | Use in place of chives when you want a garlic note. |
| Cilantro (Chinese parsley) | The leaves of the plant whose seeds are coriander. Sharp, tangy, almost citrus, with a strong smell. | Asian, Mexican and South American salads and sauces. Too much makes food taste of soap. Cilantro and coriander taste quite different and cannot replace each other. |
| Curry leaves | Look like small shiny bay leaves; a citrus-and-curry smell and taste | Southern Indian and Thai dishes. Not the same thing as curry powder. |
| Dill | A parsley relative with feathery blue-green leaves that taste like a sharper parsley with some anise | Scandinavian and central European food, especially fish, potatoes, mushrooms and other vegetables; leaves and seeds both go into pickles and sour dishes. |
| Epazote (wormseed) | Grows wild across the Americas; smells like kerosene | Fresh in salads and Mexican and Southwestern food. Often cooked with beans to make them less gassy; dried, it is brewed as a drink. |
| Lavender | Tiny purple flowers with a sweet, lemony taste | Middle Eastern and other cooking; jams, preserves, teas and tisanes; the flowers can be crystallized as a garnish. |
| Lemongrass (citronella grass) | A tropical grass shaped like a scallion but woody, with a strong lemon smell and taste | Only the lower base and the white stalks are used. Southeast Asian food. Sold fresh or quick-frozen. |
| Lime leaves | Small, dark green leaves with a bright, flowery citrus smell | Thai and other Asian soups and stews. |
| Lovage (sea parsley) | Tall stalks and large leaves like celery, with a strong celery taste | Leaves and stalks in salads and stews; its seeds are the celery seed sold for flavoring. |
| Marjoram (sweet marjoram) | From the Mediterranean; like thyme but sweeter, with a stronger smell | Many European cuisines. Wild marjoram is the herb called oregano. |
| Spearmint | The usual garden and shop mint; soft, bright green leaves with a tart taste | Fruit, lamb and chocolate; brewed as a drink or used as a garnish. |
| Peppermint | Thin, stiff, pointed leaves; sharper, with more menthol | Less used fresh than spearmint; its oil flavors sweets and candies. |
| Oregano (wild marjoram) | Pungent and peppery; tiny dark green leaves on thin woody stalks | Greek, Italian and Mexican food; a classic match for tomatoes. Sold dried and crushed. |
| Curly parsley | Small curly leaves, bright green, with a clean, tangy taste | The most common kind in the United States and northern Europe, and a garnish found everywhere. |
| Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley | Flat, darker leaves with a coarser taste | Either parsley suits almost any food except sweets. Chopped parsley is the base of every fine herb blend. The stems taste stronger than the leaves. |
| Rosemary | An evergreen bush with stiff needles; smells of pine or camphor | Best fresh. Roast and grilled meat, above all lamb. |
| Sage | Narrow, fuzzy, gray-green leaves; strong and balsamic, with a hint of camphor. It was a medicine for centuries before it was a kitchen herb. | Poultry and fatty meat, or brewed as a drink. Sold whole, chopped, or rubbed (coarsely ground). |
| Savory | Small, narrow leaves; sharp and a little bitter, a bit like thyme. Summer savory is the common kind; winter savory also exists. | Bean dishes, sausages and herb blends. |
| Tarragon | Long, narrow, dark green leaves; a strong taste that spreads quickly through food | Fish and tomatoes; essential to béarnaise sauce and fine herb blends. |
| Thyme | Tiny gray-green leaves on woody stems; strong but refined, with a note of sage. Egyptians used it as early as 3500 B.C.E. | Suits almost every meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and vegetable; often in stocks. |
Sources
This chapter is written from these open textbooks:
- Culinary Foundations — Cheramie & Thibodeaux, Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, Nicholls StateCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Fruits, Vegetables and Farinaceous Products — Thibodeaux & Bienvenu, Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, Nicholls StateCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- The Chemistry of Cooking — Sorangel Rodriguez-Velazquez, LibreTextsCC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Food Safety, Sanitation and Personal Hygiene — BC Cook Articulation Committee, BCcampusCC BY 4.0