On Food and Cooking

estragon) in oil cavities alongside the leaf
veins. Estragole is a close chemical relative of
the anise aromatic anethole, and does have an
anise-like character. Tarragon is a component
of the French mix fines herbes, is the primary
flavoring in béarnaise sauce, and is often used
to flavor vinegars.
“Mexican tarragon” is a marigold-like
New World native, Tagetes lucida, whose
leaves do indeed contain a mixture of anise-
like anethole and tarragon’s estragole.
Tobacco Tobacco is used occasionally as a
food flavoring, and its curing resembles the
making of tea (p. 437). The leaves of the
notorious North American native Nicotiana
tabacum, a relative of the potato and tomato,
are harvested when they begin to turn yellow
and develop resinous secretions, then either
sun-cured or fermented in heaps for several
weeks, and dried by contact with hot metal.
These treatments develop a complex aroma
with woody, leathery, earthy, and spicy notes,