Oregano
Flowering oregano
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Origanum Species: O. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Dicotyledons, or "dicots", is a name for a group of Flowering plants whose Seed typically has two embryonic leaves or Cotyledons There The order Lamiales is a Taxon in the asterid group of dicotyledonous Flowering plants. Lamiaceae or Labiatae, also known as the mint family is a family of Plants comprising about 210 genera and some 3500 species Origanum is a genus of about 20 species of aromatic Herbs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region east to eastern vulgare
Binomial name
Origanum vulgare L.

Oregano or pot marjoram (Origanum vulgare) is a species of Origanum, native to Europe, the Mediterranean region and southern and central Asia. Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for Origanum is a genus of about 20 species of aromatic Herbs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region east to eastern The Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. It is a perennial herb, growing to 20-80 cm tall, with opposite leaves 1-4 cm long. A perennial plant or perennial ( Latin per, "through" annus, "year" is a Plant that lives for more than A(n herb (ˈhɝb or /ˈɝb/ see pronunciation differences) is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties flavor scent or the like In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. The flowers are purple, 3-4 mm long, produced in erect spikes. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also Its name derives from the Greek origanon ὀρίγανον oros ὄρος "mountain" + the verb ganousthai γανοῦσθαι "delight in". ^[1] Oregano (seed) is also known as Ajwain (اجوائن) in Urdu.

Cultivation and uses

Oregano growing in a field.

The subspecies of oregano Origanum vulgare hirtum is an important culinary herb. It is particularly widely used in Greek and Italian-American cuisines. The Greek cuisine ( Greek: Ελληνική Κουζίνα is Greece's traditional Cuisine, a typical Mediterranean cuisine Contemporary Italian-American cuisine (more simply known as "Italian food" in the United States is the cuisine of Italian-American immigrants and their descendents It is the leaves that are used in cooking, and the dried herb is often more flavourful than the fresh. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. ^[2].

Oregano is often used in tomato sauces, fried vegetables and grilled meat. This article is about the sauces often used with pasta In some countries "tomato sauce" is also used to refer to the condiment Ketchup. Together with basil, it contributes much to the distinctive character of many Italian dishes. Basil ( Ocimum basilicum) (ˈbeɪzəl or /ˈbæzəl/ of the Family Lamiaceae.

Oregano combines nicely with pickled olives, capers, and lovage leaves. The Olive is the Fruit of the Olive tree (Olea europaea and is a major component of the Agriculture and Gastronomy of many countries The caper ( Capparis spinosa L is a perennial spiny shrub that bears rounded fleshy leaves and big white to pinkish-white flowers Lovage ( Levisticum officinale) is a plant the leaves and seeds or fruit of which are used to flavor food especially in South European cuisine Unlike most Italian herbs, oregano works with hot and spicy food, which is popular in southern Italy.

Oregano is an indispensable ingredient for Greek cuisine. The Greek cuisine ( Greek: Ελληνική Κουζίνα is Greece's traditional Cuisine, a typical Mediterranean cuisine Contemporary Oregano adds flavour to Greek salad and is usually used separately or added to the lemon-olive oil sauce that accompanies many fish or meat barbecues and some casseroles. Greek salad ( Greek: χωριάτικη σαλάτα, xorˈjatiki saˈlata 'country/village salad' is a common component of a traditional Greek meal

Oregano growing in a pot.

It has an aromatic, warm and slightly bitter taste. Taste (or more formally gustation) is a form of direct Chemoreception and is one of the traditional five Senses It varies in intensity; good quality is so strong that it almost numbs the tongue, but the cultivars adapted to colder climates have often unsatisfactory flavour. The influence of climate, season and soil on the composition of the essential oil is greater than the difference between the various species.

The related species Origanum onites (Greece, Asia Minor) and O. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black heracleoticum (Italy, Balkan peninsula, West Asia) have similar flavours. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. A closely related plant is marjoram from Asia Minor, which, however, differs significantly in taste, because phenolic compounds are missing in its essential oil. Marjoram ( Origanum majorana, Lamiaceae) is a somewhat cold-sensitive perennial Herb or undershrub with sweet Pine In Organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of Chemical compounds consisting of a Hydroxyl group (- Some breeds show a flavour intermediate between oregano and marjoram.

Pizza

The dish most commonly associated with oregano is pizza. Pizza (ˈpiːtsə, in Italian:) is a popular dish made with an Oven -baked flat generally round Bread that is covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based Its variations have probably been eaten in Southern Italy for centuries.

Health benefits

Oregano is high in antioxidant activity, due to a high content of phenolic acids and flavonoids (PMID 16218659, PMID 12730411). An antioxidant is a Molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules A polyphenol antioxidant is a type of Antioxidant containing a Polyphenolic substructure The term flavonoid (or bioflavonoid refers to a class of Plant Secondary metabolites According to the IUPAC nomenclature they can be classified into Additionally, oregano has demonstrated antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes (PMID 16218659). An antimicrobial is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of Microbes such as Bacteria, Fungi, or Viruses. Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive Bacterium, in the division Firmicutes, named for Joseph Lister. Both of these characteristics may be useful in both health and food preservation. Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity Food preservation is the process of treating and handling Food in a way that preserves its edibility and nutrition value In the Philippines, oregano (coleus aromaticus) is not commonly used for cooking but is rather considered as a primarily medicinal plant, useful for relieving children's coughs. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP

Branch of dried oregano

Other plants called oregano

Mexican oregano, Lippia graveolens (Verbenaceae) is closely related to lemon verbena. The verbena family or vervain vamily, Verbenaceae, is a family of mainly Tropical Plants They are Trees Shrubs Lemon verbena or Lemon beebrush ( Syn Aloysia triphylla) is a Deciduous Perennial Shrub native to Argentina It is a highly studied herb that is said to be of some medical use and is common in curandera female shamanic practices in Mexico and the Southwestern United States. A curandero (or curandera for a female is a traditional Folk healer or Shaman in Hispanic America, who is dedicated to curing physical and/or The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 Mexican oregano has a very similar flavour to oregano, but is usually stronger. It is becoming more commonly sold outside of Mexico, especially in the United States. It is sometimes used as a substitute for epazote leaves; this substitution would not work the other way round. Epazote, Wormseed, Jesuit's Tea, Mexican Tea, or Herba Sancti Mariæ ( Dysphania ambrosioides, formerly Chenopodium ambrosioides

Several other plants are also known as oregano in various parts of Mexico, including Poliomintha longiflora, Lippia berlandieri, and Plectranthus amboinicus (syn. Plectranthus amboinicus ( Cuban oregano, Spanish thyme, Puerto Rican Orégano Brujo, Indian Borage, Mexican thyme, Coleus aromaticus), also called Cuban oregano.

In popular culture

Oregano is often used as a comic substitute for marijuana. Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a For example, in The Venture Brothers, Mike Sorayama is given Oregano by his friends, thinking it's marijuana, but turns out to be allergic to oregano.

See also

• Za'atar

References and external links

• Flora Europaea: Origanum vulgare
• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Origanum vulgare
• Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages: Oregano (Origanum vulgare L.)