When it comes to flavour and scent, oregano is up there in our top three. It is another generous herb, is used culinarily and medicinally, and looks right at home planted into an herbaceous border. We have it planted all over the garden and nursery and even in one of the small beds at the entrance to the property which is out on the lane and gets very little attention! For me, the scent from oregano evokes memories of holidays in Greece and Italy. I was always known for picking at plants at the side of the road, as a child, and I remember discovering oregano in Rome on a school trip and asking the schoolteacher what it was. From there my love affair with oregano began.
Oregano and its cousin marjoram are all small-leaved plants, oregano tends to be green-leaved with the odd bit of white, and marjoram, while also green, also has varieties that are golden-yellow in colour. Both plants will throw up a profusion of flowers late summer, which the bees and butterflies absolutely adore. We find that whilst oregano is hardy, marjoram tends to be a little on the tender side, so we always keep ours in pots and bring them in over winter (apart from a large sway that has got its feet right into one of our flower beds in one of the coldest spots on our plot and bucks all these instructions!)
Culinary uses for oregano are extensive. You will find it in many Italian recipes as it works so well with tomato-centric recipes. It makes a lovely dressing when infused with olive oil – do use dried Oregano for this rather than fresh which contains water and may lead to rotting or mould. No homemade pizza is served here without a dusting of oregano powder and some fresh chopped leaves as a garnish. It takes your pizza to the next level. Oregano is also packed with vitamins A, C, and K, and minerals like iron, calcium, and manganese.
Medicinally, oregano is also packed with essential oils like carvacrol and thymol, which have antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory powers that help to fight harmful free radicals and prevent illness. Due to these powerful ingredients oregano is used for digestive illnesses, is great for gut health and can also be used for coughs and colds. It is superb at fighting fungal infections when used with a carrier oil. Always use Origanum vulgare or common oregano for medical functions; the other varieties are good but not packed with as much goodness as the regular oregano.