Common Culinary Herbs & Their Use

The more common herbs used in cooking are called culinary herbs. These herbs are used as flavoring agents and are associated with certain foods. Different parts of the herbs are added to food recipes; leaves, flowers, and stems of plants. By adding these herbs to your foods it enhances the foods flavor and creates a much tastier meal. You can use dried herbs in your foods however fresh herbs will add a much better flavor, so much so that your guests will be amazed at the dishes you have prepared.

Below are 16 of the more common culinary herbs, with a brief description of each one and the types of food they are most often used to enhance.

Anise is an annual which resembles celery and has deep cut leaves. Around July, flat, loose clusters of yellow-white flowers appear. They are started in spring in light but fairly rich, soil and the young plants should be thinned out to 8 to 12 inches apart. This herb is from Greece and it grows in height to approx. 18 inches. This herb smells similar to licorice.

Balm, Lemon is a perennial mint-like plant and has ovate, heart-shaped leaves which smell of lemon when bruised. In the summer tiny white tubular flowers are borne in the upper part of the leaf. When planting your cuttings be sure to set the plants 12 to 18 inches apart. This mint-like plant must be controlled or it will spread quickly. The leaves can be used in fish sauces, stuffings or as a substitute for lemons. Fresh leaves are appetizing in salads and summer drinks.

Basil, Sweet is an erect, branched plant, with glossy, toothed oblong leaves. This herb should be planted in the spring in a sunny location which receives at least 6-8 hours of bright light per day. Each plant should be spaced about 12 inches apart in moist soil but a well drained area.
Basil is available in fresh leaves and in dried leaves, which are also sometimes called rubbed. The dried herbs should be added at the beginning and during cooking however the fresh herbs should only be added at the end of cooking or when you are ready to serve. The leaves of this plant should be used sparingly to flavor pizzas, salads, pasta dishes, omelets, minced meats, and soups, especially tomato.

Sweet Bay requires full sunlight. It should be watered regularly but not too much during the summer and during the wintertime it needs very little water. A sweet bay laurel will grow to approximately 15 to 20 feet tall in milder climates. However, its growth is rather slow, only about 1 foot each year.
Keep in mind that fresh sweet bay is stronger than the dried bay leaves, so use very sparingly. One fresh leaf in stews and spaghetti sauces is usually plenty. Bay and also be used to flavor fish dishes or game.

Borage is a culinary herb that is more popular in Central Europe. This plant has large, ovate, hairy and corrugated leaves, which smell of cucumber when bruised. During the summer this herb has attractive, starry blue flowers on the upper branches. The blue and occasionally pink delicate flowers are edible and can be eaten in salads. These herbs should be planted approximately 12 inches apart. The leaves are used to flavor wine punch and soft drinks and sometimes borage is used to make pureed soups.

Caraway plant is native to Asia and produces this sickle shaped seed that gives rye bread its distinctive flavor. This annual grows to 24 inches and spread to 12 inches and has fern-like leaves with cream white flowers. It can be grown in ordinary soil, in a sunny place. The dried seeds are used in cakes, breads, salads, beef stews, pork dishes, soups, candies, and baked goods, especially bread. The caraway seeds may also enhance the flavor of many vegetables. Caraway seed is also known as a mild digestive aid.

Chives are a mild member herb of the onion family and they grow in height to 12 inches and spread to 9 inches. This perennial has slender, tubular leaves and during the midsummer rose-purple flower heads appear. When planting be sure and space them approximately 4 to 6 inches apart. To insure a continuous supply of new growth snip the leaves off periodically. The leaves give a mild onion flavor to salads, egg and cheese dishes, baked potatoes, soups, omelets, dips and spreads, pastas and are also used in the preparation of tartar sauce.
Chives are available fresh, frozen, and freeze dried. Dried chives should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place away from the sunlight, heat and moisture. If stored correctly they will keep for 6 months to 1 year.

Dill grows in height to 24 inches and spreads from 9 to 12 inches. This branched annual has tiny yellow flowers form in the large terminal heads in midsummer. Try and space them about 6 to 12 inches apart. Choose an area that is well drained with rich soil and space them about 6 to 12 inches apart. Dill plants like full sun with afternoon shade.
The seeds give an anise flavor to pickles and soups. You can chop up the leaves and use them in sauces for fish, salad dressings, tuna and chicken salads, stuffed eggs, coleslaw, sprinkle them on boiled potatoes or fresh salmon or mixed with other herbs for omelets and variety of salads. Dill is also good with sour cream, yogurt, and cream cheese. However, the main use of the seeds is in pickling vinegar for cucumbers.

Garlic grows in height up to 24 inches. This perennial has gray-green foliage and white or purple-tinged flowers during the summer. Garlic should be planted in late autumn approximately 4 to 6 inches apart. The bulbs are best preserved hanging in a dry place, away from direct sunlight. This herb is used around the world for its pungent flavor, as a seasoning or condiment or to enhance other flavors. The leaves are cut, cleaned and then stir-fried with eggs, meat or vegetables. Garlic can also be used in sauces, salads, on French breads, and in preparation of roasts.

Hyssop is a perennial that grows in height to 24 inches and has tubular blue-purple flowers that appear during the late summer. However both pink and white varieties are available. The leaves of hyssop have been used as a medicine since the Old Testament times and hyssop tea is sometimes recommended to relieve bronchitis, coughs, colds, and sore throats.
Hyssop has a bitter, very slight flavor that goes well in salads, pork, chicken soup, marinades, and sage stuffing. Both its leaves and flowers are edible.

Parsley is a biennial with basal foliage that is deeply divided, creating a mossy effect. During the summer it has tiny green-yellow blossoms. This plant should be grown in damp rich and deeply dug soil. Parsley plants like full sun or light shade.
Parsley can be used with salads and vegetables or you can finely chop and sprinkle the parsley over sandwiches, egg dishes, vegetable soups, fish and boiled potatoes. It can also be used to make Parsley tea, butter and jelly.

Pennyroyal is a perennial with straight flowering stems and small ovate leaves that smell like mint. During the late summer months pale purple tubular flowers open in the upper leaf axils. This herb succeeds best in loamy soil, in a moist situation.
Harvesting Pennyroyal is mostly sold in the dry state for making teas and the stems are cut when the plant is just about to flower and then it is dried in the usual manner. The tender tips of the shoots add a peppermint flavor to salads.

Peppermint is a scented perennial and has square-sectioned stems and pairs of serrated, sword-shaped leaves. This plant has tiny, purple, tubular flowers in late summer. They dried leaves can be used for flavoring sweets or to make peppermint tea.

Sage is a perennial that is gray-green in color with oblong, ovate, scented leaves. It is a member of the mint family but it has a musty yet smoky aroma.
During the summer it develops purple-blue or white flowers. These herbs grow in height from 12 to 24 inches and should be planted 12 to 18 in apart in light soil and in a well-drained, alkaline soil rich in nutrients. Sage is available in fresh or dried leaves whole, crumbled or ground. Fresh sage can be refrigerated for approximately one week.
These chopped fresh herb leaves should be used sparingly in sandwiches,salads, pickles, and cheese. Sage enchances pork, lamb, meats, seafood, vegetables, breads and sausages. Fresh leaves of mint may be added to tea for a refreshing drink or to brighten potatoes, peas and fruit salads.

Tarragon is a perennial has slender-branched upright stems and linear leaves that have three terminal teeth or lobes. These herbs develop green-white flowers and in clusters and they appear in mid-summer. Tarragon plants like a full sun and sheltered area in rich light and dry soil but be sure there is good drainage. It has a delicate flavor, almost like licorice or anise-like. Tarragon is native to Siberia. Fresh tarragon is only available during the summer and early fall months and can be refrigerated for up to one week.
Tarragon is good with egg dishes, poached fish, mushrooms, vegetables, chicken, and in salad dressings.

Thyme is a wiry, evergreen, perennial with narrow, oblong, aromatic leaves. It has small tubular lilac flowers that appear in early to late summer. Thyme should be planted about 12 inches apart in a sunny position in well-drained soil. This herb has a subtle lemon, yet minty aroma and taste. Fresh thyme can usually be found during the summer months, but dried thyme is normally available year round.
The fresh or dried leaves of this herb can be used with stuffings, stews, lambs, veal, casseroles, as well as in eggs and croquettes.

New studies have shown that herbs contain no calories or fat, which is of great importance to people on weight loss diets. Some doctors are recommending the use of herbs in salt-restricted diets to enhance the flavor without adding sodium content. There has been a revival of the culinary arts that has prompted new interest. Many cooks have found that raising their own herbs can be quite fulfilling as a hobby which makes the end results in cooking an added bonus.

Each herb has its own distinctive taste and each one has a specific relationship to individual foods. Herbs can help to improve your lifestyle, especially when using fresh herbs, in your everyday cuisine and adding great flavor to your food. There are many more good herbs which are great for flavoring foods and others that are good used as medicine.