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By Glen Avis
Most Americans associate oregano with Italian food, and for good reason. During World War II, GIs in Europe discovered the tangy herb on pizzas, in spaghetti sauce and in other Italian dishes and brought it home with them.
“It’s like salt!” says Iain Greeley, a server at UNO Pizzeria & Grill in Bangor, Maine. “From canisters, we shake it on most our dishes.”
But oregano also adds flavor to Mexican dishes, and it is found in Mexican restaurant kitchens across the country. It is also found in Turkish, Greek, Spanish and French cuisine.
Even though what we call “oregano” is used in all of these different cuisines, there are actually two distinct varieties: Mexican oregano (its scientific name is Lippia graveolens) and Mediterranean oregano, sometimes called Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare). The plants are not closely related, but they have similar minty, sweet, and pungent flavors.
Mexican oregano also has a peppery licorice taste, which makes it an interesting addition to salsas, beans and meat dishes. Mediterranean oregano has a slightly more bitter and citrus flavor and is more commonly used to flavor tomato-based sauces, meats, and vegetables.
Mediterranean oregano, which is part of the mint family, is more commonly found in kitchens in the United States than the Mexican variety. Mexican oregano, related to lemon verbena, is native to Central America and can grow as far north as Texas.
In both varieties, oregano is almost always used in the dried form, not the fresh leaves. The dry, crushed leaves provide the flavors typically associated with the herb. And as a practical matter, the two herbs can be used interchangeably in many recipes – just be prepared for a slightly different taste!
If you want to really taste the difference, buy some of each variety and make a tea:
1. Put 2 teaspoons of dried oregano into a strainer
2. Boil 1 cup of water and pour it thru the strainer into a tea cup
3. Let steep 2 to 4 minutes
Oregano in Mexican Cuisine
Oregano is found in countless Mexican dishes, ranging from salsas to tamales to birria. Here is a selection of interesting recipes available from el Restaurante that include oregano:
Crispy Plantains with Pepper Sofrito
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