mostly alphabetical order.
Fresh herbs are usually harvested from
mature plants, often as they’re beginning to
flower, when their defensive essential oil
content is at its peak. The oil content of
Mediterranean herbs is higher on the side of
the plant facing the sun. An interesting
variation is to harvest them as young sprouts
with just a few leaves, when their essential oil
content can be very different. Fennel sprouts,
for example, contain relatively little anise-
like anethole, which dominates the flavor of
the mature plant.
The Mint Family
The mint family is a large one, with around
180 genera, and it provides more of our
familiar kitchen herbs than any other family.
Why such generosity? A fortunate
combination of several factors. Members of
the mint family dominate the dry, rocky