more thyme-like thymol and fresh, green,
floral, and woody terpenes.
Mexican oregano is an entirely different
plant, various species of the Mexican genus
Lippia, a member of the verbena family.
Some varieties do have a high carvacrol
content, some more resemble thyme, and
some are more woody and piney. They all
have a substantially higher essential oil
content than true oregano (3–4% in the dry
leaf, vs. 1%), and therefore seem stronger.
Despite its name, Cuban oregano is an
Asian member of the mint family,
Plectranthus amboinicus, with fuzzy
succulent leaves and a good dose of carvacrol.
It’s now widely cultivated throughout the
tropics; in India the fresh leaves are battered
and fried.
Perilla or Shiso Perilla is the leaf of Perilla
frutescens, a mint relative native to China and
India. It was taken to Japan in the 8th or 9th