Herbs: Common

Basil

Basil is a fragrant culinary herb with a sweet, spicy aroma, indispensable in Italian cooking. It is used to make pesto.

💡 Did you know? It is sensitive to cold: even in the fridge the leaves quickly turn black.

Parsley

Parsley is one of the best-known culinary herbs, with flat or curly leaves. It seasons and garnishes countless dishes.

💡 Did you know? It is high in vitamin C and works as a natural breath freshener after a meal.

Chives

Chives form tubular green stalks with a mild onion taste. They are sprinkled fresh and finely cut over food.

💡 Did you know? Its pretty purple pom-pom flowers are also edible.

Dill

Dill is a delicate herb with an aromatic, slightly aniseed taste. It goes especially well with fish, cucumber and quark.

💡 Did you know? Not only the leaves but also the dill flowers and seeds are used for pickling cucumbers.

Peppermint

Peppermint has an intensely fresh, cooling taste thanks to its essential oil (menthol). It is used for tea, desserts and drinks.

💡 Did you know? Menthol stimulates the skin's cold receptors: which is why it feels 'cool' without actually being cold.

Rosemary

Rosemary is an evergreen shrub with needle-shaped leaves and a resinous, spicy scent. It suits meat, potatoes and Mediterranean dishes.

💡 Did you know? In the Mediterranean it grows wild over whole hillsides and scents the very air.

Thyme

Thyme is a small, aromatic herb with tiny leaves and an intense flavour. It seasons braised dishes, soups and Mediterranean cooking.

💡 Did you know? Its essential oil (thymol) is antibacterial and is also found in some mouthwashes.

Oregano

Oregano is an aromatic Mediterranean herb that becomes even more flavourful when dried. It is the classic seasoning for pizza and tomato sauce.

💡 Did you know? It is closely related to marjoram but tastes stronger and more pungent.

Sage

Sage has velvety, grey-green leaves with a strong, spicy, slightly bitter aroma. It suits meat and pasta and is used as a medicinal tea.

💡 Did you know? Its Latin name comes from 'salvare' (to heal): a hint at its long use as a remedy.

Coriander

Coriander (cilantro) has fresh green leaves with an unmistakable, intense aroma, popular in Asian and Latin American cooking. Its seeds are a spice too.

💡 Did you know? Some people find the taste soapy: this is due to a genetic predisposition.

Marjoram

Marjoram is a mild, aromatic herb that goes especially well with hearty dishes like sausage and potato soup. It is closely related to oregano.

💡 Did you know? In German it is also called 'sausage herb' because it is in many kinds of sausage.

Chervil

Chervil is a delicate herb with a fine, slightly aniseed taste. It is added fresh to soups, sauces and egg dishes.

💡 Did you know? It is a defining ingredient of the classic Frankfurt 'green sauce'.

Tarragon

Tarragon has narrow leaves with a spicy-sweet, slightly aniseed aroma. It is an important herb of French cooking, for example in sauce béarnaise.

💡 Did you know? It is also used to make the aromatic tarragon vinegar.

Savory

Savory is an aromatic, slightly peppery herb that traditionally goes with bean dishes. It makes heavy foods easier to digest.

💡 Did you know? It is said to prevent flatulence: which is why it is often used to season pulses.

Lovage

Lovage tastes strongly savoury and is strongly reminiscent of Maggi seasoning. It flavours soups and stews.

💡 Did you know? Because of its taste it is popularly called 'Maggi herb' in German: even though Maggi seasoning is not actually made from it.

Caraway

Caraway provides aromatic seeds with an intense flavour that enhance bread, cabbage and hearty dishes. It is said to aid digestion.

💡 Did you know? It is often confused with the similar-looking but quite different-tasting cumin.

Bay laurel

The bay laurel provides firm, aromatic leaves that are simmered in soups and braises and removed before serving. It comes from the Mediterranean.

💡 Did you know? The ancient Greeks and Romans wove victors' wreaths from laurel branches.

Chamomile

Chamomile is a well-known medicinal herb with small white-and-yellow flowers. It is used to make a soothing tea.

💡 Did you know? Chamomile tea is regarded as a gentle remedy for stomach ache and for relaxation.

Stinging nettle

The stinging nettle is a widespread wild herb whose leaves sting on contact. Cooked, it loses its sting and becomes a vitamin-rich vegetable.

💡 Did you know? The fine stinging hairs work like tiny syringes that inject an irritating fluid into the skin.

Wild garlic

Wild garlic (ramsons) is a wild herb with an intense garlic taste that grows in shady woods in spring. It is made into pesto and soup.

💡 Did you know? It is easily confused with the poisonous leaves of lily of the valley and autumn crocus; the garlic smell is the safe way to tell it apart.

Lemon balm

Lemon balm smells and tastes freshly of lemon. It is used for tea, desserts and summer drinks.

💡 Did you know? It belongs to the mint family and is calming: it was once used against nervousness.

Fennel

Fennel has a sweet, aniseed-like taste. The bulb is eaten as a vegetable, the seeds are used as a spice and for tea.

💡 Did you know? Fennel tea is a classic, gentle remedy for wind in babies and children.