Seasonings of grass: names and photos

In this article, we want to talk about what it is impossible to imagine preparing a single dish. Seasonings herbs have firmly entered our life, along with the long-known in the use of new mixtures, the flavor of which gives the dishes a unique note.

From the history…

Seasonings of grass are known to people since ancient times. It is known that even in the era of the Paleolithic people seasoned meat with wild spicy-aromatic plants. This is evidenced by numerous finds. Knowing the properties of such plants, people gradually began to use them, even as medicines, flavors, preservatives, disinfectants.

It is difficult to imagine, but the first civilizations were able to grow seasonings of grass. Archeologists found papyri with recipes for dishes, prescribing to put mint, saffron, wormwood and other plants during cooking. Seeds of spicy plants were even found in the tombs of the pharaohs. Maradah Baladan, the famous Assyrian king, left for posterity the first book, which contained practical recommendations for the cultivation of herbs. They described more than 60 species.

The Greeks, for example, knew most of the modern spicy plants. They used and grew mint, coriander, cumin, onion, garlic, thyme, saffron, laurel, parsley.

The golden age for the heyday of the application of spices and herbs was the Renaissance. The fascination with spicy aromatic plants becomes incredibly popular. There are such works as herbalists and monographs. As an example, we can give a practical guide, published twenty times, by Thomas Tressera.

In Russia, for a long time, mint, St. John's wort, parsley, onions, horseradish, garlic, anise were used for food. And in the 15th and 16th centuries our ancestors became aware of saffron, cardamom, cloves. Russian cuisine of those times was incredibly aromatic and spicy. In the 19th century, celery, cucumber, portolac, chicory, lavender, coriander, rosemary, savory, marjoram, basil were widely used in cooking.

What is the secret of herbs?

Seasonings of herbs in a variety of combinations give the most ordinary products a stunning flavor and aroma. In addition, they found a large number of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The ethereal substances contained in them make the food more tender, cause us to have an appetite, improve the digestion process. Herbs are excellent preservatives. And many of them are used in folk medicine. Some of them are even included in the modern pharmacopoeia. The need for herbs is growing every year, especially in the food industry. Many of them are grown on homestead plots.

Herbs condiment: list

It is worth noting that the list of herbs used as seasonings is huge. It is simply impossible to remember all plants. In different combinations with each other and various spices they give new flavors and taste properties. Such mixtures even found their own names and became known as, for example, Provencal herbs or French herbs (we'll talk about them later).

Within the framework of the article we want to indicate only some herbs of seasoning (names and photos are given in the article): basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, coriander, dill, parsley, celery, tarragon, thyme, saffron, fennel, Savory, caraway, lemon balm, mint, sage, laurel leaf, lavender, nettle, sorrel, rhubarb, etc.

Basil

Seasoning the grass (photo is given in the article) the basil was once called the royal grass. It is widely used in dry and fresh form. Basil is put in vegetable dishes, meat, soups, in sauerkraut. Fresh greens are used for cooking cold dishes, salads and soups. The basil leaves are ground and added to butter and pastes. Many national cuisines of European countries use basil during the preparation of eggs, fish, cheese, vegetables. Without it, pizzas, sauces, ketchups, gravies and pasta fillings are unthinkable. This stunning herb improves the taste of sausages and other meat products.

In addition, the basil has an antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and toning effect.

Marjoram

The herb has a stable aroma and a slightly burning taste. Cooking is widely used dry and fresh leaves and dried flower buds. Marjoram is also sometimes presented as a mixture of mashed leaves and flowers. It is believed that this mixture has a stronger taste and aroma. They use herbs for cooking salads, dishes from vegetables, fish, cold snacks, mushrooms. An irreplaceable assistant, marjoram became in the preparation of meat, minced meat, gravies and sauces.

In medicine, marjoram is known as a gastric remedy, used for severe headaches, asthma, depression, insomnia.

Oregano

Oregano is the strongest fragrant herb that is similar to marjoram, so these two spices are very often replaced by each other. In Italy, the entire national cuisine is based on the use of oregano. Pizza, casseroles, pastas, soups are prepared with the addition of fragrant herbs. It is used for making beer, vegetable oil, vinegar. In the Caucasus and in Belarus, oregano is used for pickling cucumbers and mushrooms.

Dill

One of the most popular herbs in the world is dill. Its seeds, herbs are actively used in cooking. The plant has a bright spicy aroma, similar to anise and cumin. In the Scandinavian countries, all fish dishes are prepared only with dill, so that the dishes have a very pleasant taste and aroma. The plant is generally indispensable for the preparation of many dishes. It is added to salads, pies, casseroles. Plant seeds are used in confectionery and for various marinades.

Coriander, or coriander

Cilantro is an incredibly popular seasoning herb in Asia. It combines both spice (seeds) and spice (leaves). Stunning properties of the plant were known to people even 5000 years BC. E.

It is difficult to imagine without adjuvant ajika, Georgian sauces, Borodino bread, fish, Korean carrots, lyulya-kebab, shish kebab, soup kharcho. The seasoning has become so dense in our life that we sometimes do not notice how widely its use.

Rosemary

Rosemary is an incredibly popular spice used to make meat. It has an amazing feature to give ordinary home-made meat the smell of real game. Europeans widely use rosemary to prepare a mixture of oil and parsley. All ingredients are mixed. The resulting paste is laid in the notches in the meat.

Provencal herbs

Seasoning Provencal herbs - one of the most famous and popular mixtures of spicy plants. It includes basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, savory, peppermint, marjoram, oregano. This collection of herbs is ideally matched to taste. All its components are in perfect harmony with each other. The name of the mixture came from one of the regions of France - Provence, which is known for its spicy plants.

The seasoning is widely used by culinary experts around the world. Collection perfectly fits any first or second course. Provencal herbs give food an acute taste. It should be noted that the quantitative ratio of different components can be arbitrary depending on the preferences of the cook.

Provencal herbs are used in the Mediterranean, French and other cuisines of the world. They perfectly harmonize with all sorts of meat (chicken, beef, pork). Chicken meat, baked with seasoning, will become a real culinary delights. To the festive table you can serve steak in Italian (from beef).

Provencal herbs are widely used for making soups. They incredibly enrich the taste of dishes. And it's not necessary to talk about their use in salads and sauces. Provencal herbs are good for filling fatty foods, they are perfectly combined with any varieties of pepper and onions, as well as greens. Some cooks even use a mixture for baking bread.

Provencal herbs - is not only a fragrant addition of dishes, but also a lot of useful substances that have very useful properties for the body. They contain many oils, resins, essential substances, vitamins, enzymes. Spice increases appetite and has a beneficial effect on the digestion process. Provencal herbs are actively used in the salt-free diet.

French herbs

French herbs - a seasoning, which includes plants that grow in the south of France. The mixture consists of basil, chabera, red pepper, tarragon, parsley, white mustard, thyme, rosemary and fenugreek. Such herbs are used for cooking meat, fish, poultry, salads, marinades.

An interesting fact is that in the French kitchen is used a huge number of fresh plants, so the housewives often grow them on balconies and window sills.

Italian herbs

Italian culinary specialists are able to accurately place the taste accents by using a variety of spices and spices. Italian herbs - seasoning (the composition of the seasoning is given below), which includes garlic, basil, savory, onions, oregano. It is often used in French and Mediterranean cuisine. The seasoning is added to prepare lasagna, pies, pizza, casserole. Italian herbs are wonderfully combined with all kinds of meat. They are added to soups, sauces and all kinds of salads. They are irreplaceable for the preparation of stuffing, hot, fish dishes.

Italian herbs perfectly match and harmonize with different types of greenery.

Instead of an afterword

Herbs seasoning (some of them are listed in the article) have long been used by humans. They are so tightly integrated into our daily lives, that we sometimes do not even notice it, although we encounter some of them daily in the process of cooking. Of course, at the present time, ready-made mixtures of dried herbs are gaining popularity, but we continue to try to cultivate in the country areas for a long time the usual dill, parsley, coriander, tarragon, celery and many other herbs, because their unique flavor turns any dish into a culinary masterpiece .