It would seem that Americans are wild for oregano, but it wasn’t always that way.
Sage was once the king of herbs in the U.S. and oregano was virtually unknown here, despite its popularity throughout the world.
However, something happened to change all that.
Soldiers returning home from Italy after World War II brought with them a taste for pizza and other foods seasoned with oregano and use of the herb skyrocketed; in fact, sales of oregano increased by a whopping 5,200 percent between 1948 and 1956.
Known as “joy of the mountains” in Greece, oregano grows wild on hillsides throughout that country, as well as in Spain, Italy and other Mediterranean lands, where it’s an herb of choice.
It’s occasionally confused with marjoram, a related and somewhat similarly flavored herb (though sweeter and milder), and oregano’s “wild marjoram” nickname in some places adds to this befuddlement.
To add a bit more complication, what we know as Mexican oregano is from an entirely different botanical family and is sometimes called Mexican marjoram or Mexican wild sage.
Because its taste is stronger than Mediterranean oregano, substituting one for another in recipes doesn’t always achieve a good result.
Oregano, a member of the mint family, is a perennial herb in its warm native clime, but is planted as an annual in colder regions, as it isn’t a frost hardy shrub.
Sporting edible white, pink or purple blooms, it grows up to 2 feet tall and its small bright green leaves lend pleasant pungency to many savory dishes.
The herb is used in both its fresh and dry forms, and oregano is unique in that it’s one of the few herbs that become more strongly-flavored when dried.
I once purchased a mammoth armful of stalks of fresh oregano at the end of the day at a farmers’ market.
The grower promised it would take almost no effort to dry it, and that proved true enough, though it did take over the whole of my dining room table for the few days I had it spread out there.
Once dried, the leaves were easily removed from the stalks for storage in zipper-sealed bags in my spice cabinet. The whole leaves, which I crushed into all kinds of fare as I was cooking, provided a pleasant “almost fresh” flavor, quite unlike bottled dried oregano.
Part of the flavor composition of warm, aromatic oregano is a slightly bitter taste, which varies depending upon variety and growing conditions. While I haven’t experienced this, I’m told that particularly strong oregano can numb the tongue a bit.
In addition to its beloved place in Italian cooking, oregano is widely used in Palestinian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Syrian, Turkish, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Philippine cuisines.
In Turkey, it flavors meats and, along with paprika, can almost always be found in shakers on tables in kebab restaurants.
If you plan to boil water buffalo at home, take a cue from chefs in the Philippines and add oregano to the pot, both to eliminate unpleasant odors and impart flavor.
To me, oregano means Greek food, as it’s used so frequently there. I’m partial to the flavors of that country, and enjoy adding oregano fresh to Greek salads or to the homemade olive oil-lemon vinaigrette that accompanies them.
Greek oregano, slightly more pungent than oregano from Italy, is used along with olive oil and lemon in sauces for Grecian fish, meat, and casserole dishes.
Oregano’s New World cousin, Mexican oregano, is enjoyed in cuisines throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Oregano is a natural with fava beans, eggplant, sweet peppers, and anything tomato-y, including dishes with tomato-based sauces.
Add a sprig of fresh oregano to olive oil to infuse flavor into it. A squeeze bottle works well for this purpose, and be sure to store the herby oil in the fridge to maintain freshness.
Use oregano with fish, poultry, meats, in egg dishes, with mushrooms, in vegetable soup, and with summer squash.
Throw it fresh on pizza, plop it into lasagna, or sprinkle it over any Italian dish with tomato sauce: pasta, gnocchi, polenta, or eggplant.
Oregano is a wonderful topping for focaccia bread, and slivered onions, garlic or rosemary make good flavor companions for it.
Jazz up a grilled cheese sandwich (open faced or otherwise) by adding sliced tomatoes and fresh oregano to it.
Combine oregano with fresh lemon juice, a bit of olive oil, and some salt and pepper for a simple marinade for chicken before grilling.
Stuff boneless chicken breasts with feta cheese and oregano and bake them, or top them with the mixture after cooking. (If desired, pound them flat and roll with the stuffing inside to make a roulade.)
Create a mouth-watering appetizer by topping feta or goat cheese with fresh oregano and dousing it liberally with a good quality olive oil. (Serve with crackers or slices of good, crusty bread.)
Are you hungry yet?
As popular as it is in cuisine, one of the largest commercial markets for oregano is the perfume industry. Its oil adds a warm, patchouli-like quality to scent mixtures, and blends well with aromas of lavender, rosemary, bergamot, cedar, chamomile and eucalyptus.
Most of the ancient uses of oregano were medicinal, rather than culinary. The ancient Greeks and Romans made poultices of oregano and used them for sores, muscle aches and poisonous insect bites.
Oil of oregano, known for its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, is sold for medicinal purposes. Some claim the oil soothes a painful tooth, a remedy once used in the ancient world.
Scientific studies have shown that oregano’s volatile oils are effective against many types of bacteria (Giardia, for example) and are a potent antioxidant.
High in fiber, oregano is also packed full of vitamin K, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin E, and tryptophan.
As with most herbs, storing them in the fridge while keeping them moist extends their life.
One method is to place the cut stems in a jar of water and surround the top with a plastic bag. Or store them wrapped in a damp paper towel within a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge.
If you’ve got an abundance of oregano in your garden, you’ll be happy to know the herb can be frozen, either whole or chopped, in airtight containers or bags. It’s not necessary to thaw it prior to using.
Like with many other herbs, oregano may be frozen in ice cube trays covered with stock or water for use in cooking.
Today’s recipe is roasted potatoes with garlic, lemon, and oregano, which utilizes both fresh and dried oregano. It’s perfect for our unseasonably chilly weather, or you can keep it in your recipe arsenal for fall and winter cooking.
Bon appétit! Here’s to hoping the “joy of the mountains” brightens your day.
Roasted potatoes with garlic, lemon and oregano
3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes ½ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-½ teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup beef, chicken, or vegetable stock
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place the potatoes in a single layer in a 13-x-9-inch baking dish and pour the oil over them. Add the garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and toss well to coat with the oil.
Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes. Add the stock, toss and bake for 10 minutes more. Add the lemon juice, toss and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the potatoes are cooked through. If you like, preheat the broiler and broil the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with the fresh oregano and serve at once.
Variation:
Dissolve 1 tablespoon tomato paste in the stock, and reduce the amount of lemon juice to taste. Substitute Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for the black pepper.
This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings and is courtesy of www.epicurious.com .
Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
