aroma compounds make up a larger
proportion of young sweet basil leaves than
old, by as much as five times. In leaves that
are still growing, the relative proportions of
the different compounds actually vary along
the length of the leaf, with the older tip richer
in tarragon and clove notes, the younger base
in eucalyptus and floral notes.
Bergamot This herb, also known as bee balm
and Oswego tea, comes from a North
American member of the mint family,
Monarda didyma, whose aroma is somewhat
lemony. The same name is given to a member
of the citrus family whose essential oil is rich
in flowery linalyl acetate, and which is the
distinctive addition to Earl Grey tea.
(Confusingly, European watermint [p. 404] is
also sometimes called bergamot.) Horehound
Horehound, so called for its hairy white
(hoary) leaves, is a Eurasian species,
Marrubium vulgare, with a musky and bitter