Various aromatic plants that are used in cookery. Among the most common herbs used for seasoning are chervil, thyme, rosemary, dill, tarragon, chives, and parsley. The leaves of the herbs contain an oil which gives the characteristics smell and flavor.

Herbs have no food value but are important from a nutritive point of view in aiding digestion because they stimulate the flow of gastric juices. These are the most commonly used herbs.

BASIL:

Basil is a small leaf with a pungent flavor and sweet aroma. Used in raw or cooked tomato dishes or sauces, salads, and lambs’ dishes.

BAY LEAVES: 

Bay leaves are the leaves of the bay laurel or sweet bay trees or shrubs. They may be fresh or dried and are used for flavouring many soup, sauces, stews, fish and vegetables dishes, in which case they are usually include in  a bunch of \herbs(bouquet garni)

Chervil:

Chervil has small, neatly shaped leaves with as a delicate aromatic flavor. It is best used fresh but may also be obtained in dried form. Because of its neat shape it is employed a great deal for decorating work. It is one of the fines herbs, the mixture of herbs used in many culinary preparations

Borage:

This is a plant with furry leaves and blue flowers that produces a flavor similar to cucumber when added to vegetables and salad.

Chive:

Chive is a bright green member of the onion family resembling a coarse grass. It has  a delicate onion flavour. It is invaluable for flavouring salad., hors-d’oeuvre, fish poultry and meat dishes, and chopped as a garnish for soup and cooked vegetables. It should be used fresh.

Coriander:

A member of the parsley family, coriander is one of the oldest flavorings used by man. It is both a herb and a spice. The leaves have a distinctive pungent flavor.

DILL:

An aromatic umbelliferous plant originating in the east and introduced into Europe in ancient times. dill leaves are used in fish preparation, pickles etc.

Fennel:

Fennel, has feathery bright green leaves, and a slight aniseed flavor and issued for fish sauces, meat, dishes, and salads

Lemon grass:

Lemon grass is a tall plant long spear-shaped grass like leaves with a strong lemon flavor.  It is typically sold fresh, but it’s also available dried and powdered. Lemon grass is common in Thai, Vietnamese, and Sri Lankan dishes, and it’s also becoming popular in other cuisines.

Marjoram:

Marjoram is a sweet herb which may be used fresh in salad and pork, fish, poultry, cheese, egg and vegetable dishes, and when dried can be used for flavoring soups, sauces, stews and certain stuffings.

Mint:

There are many varieties of mint. Fresh sprigs of mint are used to flavor peas and new potatoes. Fresh or dried mint may be used to make mint sauce or mint jelly for serving with roast lamb. Chopped mint can be used in salads.

Oregano:

Oregano has a flavor and aroma similar to marjoram but stronger. It is used in Italian and Greek-style cooking in meats, salad, soups, stuffings, pasta, sauces, vegetable and egg dishes.

Parsley:

A herb originating in southern Europe and cultivated mainly for its aromatic leaves, which are used to flavor or garnish many dishes. Fresh parsley is an ingredient of a bouquet garni and is used in marinades and stocks.

Rosemary:

Rosemary is a strong fragrant herb which should be used sparingly and may be used fresh or dried for flavoring sauces, stews salads and for stuffings. Rosemary can also be sprinkled on roasts or grills of meat, poultry and fish during cooking and on roast potatoes.

Sage:

Sage is a strong, bitter pungent herb which aids the stomach to digest rich fatty meat and is therefore used in stuffings for duck, goose and pork.

Tarragon:

This plant has a bright green attractive leaf. It is best used fresh, particularly when decorating Chaddsford dishes. Tarragon has a pleasant flavor and is used in sauces, one well-known example being sauce bearnaise. It is one of the fine herbes and as such is used for omelettes, salads, fish, and meat dishes.

THYME:

A perennial plant with small grey-green aromatic leaves and small purplish flowers, much used as a culinary herb and also to prepare infusions. Thyme contains an essential oil, thymol, which has a very aromatic Oduor and antiseptic properties. Thyme is one of the basic herbs used in cooking. It is used in stuffing, casseroles, stews, soups, baked, fish etc. Fresh thyme is particularly good for flavoring scrambled eggs, salads, tomato dishes, and lentils.