Cookbook:Mixed Herbs

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Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Spices and herbs
Mixed herbs is a common mix of different dried herbs, ready for use without needing to measure out
individual quantities. A typical mix includes equal parts of:

 Basil
 Marjoram
 Oregano
 Rosemary
 Sage
 Thyme

Basil is a herb, the green leaves of which are used extensively in Italian cuisine. It is the basis
of pesto sauce, and is also widely used as a garnish.

Thai cuisine uses a different type of basil called Thai basil. It tastes more like mint or anise than
basil, so it is not interchangeable with Italian basil.
Holy basil (or krapow) is also used in Thai cooking, and has a distinctive, hot flavor, quite different
from both regular basil and Thai basil. See Holy basil.
Lemon basil is used in Indonesian cooking, eaten raw (often along with with raw vegetables:
cabbage, cucumber and long beans) as an accompaniment to fried fish or duck.
Marjoram is a cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavors. It is
also called sweet marjoram or knotted marjoram.

Marjoram is very similar to oregano, a herb from the same family. Oregano is stronger in flavour,
marjoram is sweeter and milder. If a recipe requires marjoram, you may substitute oregano for it, but
only use ⅔ as much as the recipe states.

Oregano is a herb that is found in both Mediterranean and Mexican cuisine. The leaves are used
either fresh or dried, but the taste is stronger in the dried herb. The Mediterranean variety is mild in
flavor, whereas its Mexican counterpart has a more earthly taste.
Oregano is very similar to marjoram, another herb from the same family, and is sometimes
called wild marjoram or pot marjoram. Oregano is stronger in flavor than marjoram, and marjoram is
sweeter.
Rosemary is a perennial woody herb, which grows in temperate and Mediterranean climates. The
thin needle-like leaves are used in cooking. They have a bitter, astringent taste
Sage is a herb, the leaf of a perennial plant that can be grown in most climates.

Thyme is a herb, the leaf (fresh or dried) of a number of related plants. It is often used to flavour
meats, soups and stews. It is used in French cuisine, where it is an important element in a bouquet
garni. It is also widely used in West Indian cuisine.