Greek Oregano:  Origanum vulgare Alba

Herb-of-the-Week  —  May 2, 2016

This week’s featured product is the ever-abundant Greek Oregano.  Not to be confused with any of the multitude of other inferior oregano varieties of the world, Greek oregano is the preferred culinary oregano with its fiery, peppery flavor.  Try a raw leaf — true Greek oregano should light up your mouth!

Although commonly known as the “pizza herb,” oregano is delicious in so much more than a typical tomato sauce.  Although I prefer cooking with it fresh, oregano lends great flavor dried, as well.  I love tossing fresh leaves in stir fries, lentil dishes, garlic bread, salads, you name it.  Just know that Greek oregano is especially strong and may not blend well in a dish with other more delicate herbs.

I’ve been playing around lately with somewhat uncommon combinations of herbs and sweet fruits. Check out this week’s featured recipe: easy, flavor-blasting Strawberry Oregano Dressing for your next tasty salad.

I also love a warm cup of Greek oregano tea.  The list of reported health benefits of regularly sipping oregano tea is almost infinitely long, likely due to the huge variety of volatile oils, vitamins, and minerals found in the leaves.  Although I’m not a doctor and make no claims as to the medical effectiveness of oregano, I’ve heard that oregano tea can be great for easing cold and flu symptoms and speeding recovery, opening respiratory passages, and even as monthly pain relief for the ladies.

For a nice spicy cup of oregano tea on a grey drizzly morning like today, roughly chop or crush the leaves of one sprig of Greek oregano (approx. 1 Tablespoon), steep 5-10 minutes in boiling water, strain, and enjoy.

What are your favorite uses for oregano?  Share with your community in the comments below!