thyme
Also: Roman or Welscher Quendel, tripe herb
Description:
The thyme comes from the European western Mediterranean area to southern Italy.
In Germany, however, we purchase most of it from our own cultivation. The thyme belongs to the mint family. It is a perennial dwarf shrub, under which one can imagine a rather low bush of 20-40 cm with small, narrow evergreen leaves.
It has upright and more or less woody stems on which the very short-stemmed leaves are located.
These are elongated and lancet-like, with entire margins and rolled down at the edge. The leaves may be slightly hairy on the underside.
The color of the thyme flower is light pink to purple.
Recyclable part: the leaves and flowers.
Harvest time:
The main harvest season for thyme is from May to September.
Offer forms:
Fresh and dried (rubbed, roughly chopped, rarely ground)
Ingredients:
essential oils, flavonoids, tannins, bitter substances
Taste and smell:
Taste: characteristically bitter and spicy
Smell: strongly aromatic, depending on the variety from lemon to flowery-spicy
Cooking and kitchen use:
Fresh and dried herbs are cooked at the same time, so that the full aroma unfolds. The twigs are then removed before serving. Fresh twigs with flowers can also be used as a garnish. The thyme should be used sparingly due to its strong taste. When dried, thyme retains its aroma for a long time.
Thyme goes well with bay leaves, basil, parsley, marjoram, dill, rosemary, savory, sage, garlic, lavender, onions and olives.
Soups / stews: potato soup, tomato soup, zucchini soup, bean soup, herb soup, pea soup, meat and fish broth
Meat / poultry: roast pork, roast veal, game, in short-term marinades, in marinades for sauerbraten, e.g. Rhenish sauerbraten, Irish stew, Magdeburg stew, chicken, chicken breasts with herbs, turkey skewer in pepperoni sauce
Fish: grilled; Eg grilled salmon steak, poached in herb sauce, herb trout
Sauces: tomato sauces, pepper sauce, herb sauce, game sauce
Side dishes: potato casseroles, potato stews, fried and baked potatoes
Vegetables: zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, beans, legumes, sweet and sour lensegmues
Salads: tomato salad, bean salad, cucumber salad
Other: Part of the bouquet garni with, for example: veal blanket, veal sweetbreads; Part of the spice bag for example: horseradish meat with roots; in spice mixtures such as herbs from Provence, Provencal potatoes, goulash spices, tomato-mozzarella-salt; Herbal vinegar, herbal liqueur, sausage seasoning, reason: contains antiseptic and preservative ingredients, lard
Use in dietetics:
When dried, thyme works as a tea for coughs and colds: expectorant, antibacterial, antiseptic.