In the world of condiments, there are many different spices with their own history, unique taste characteristics, aromas and scope. Culinary specialists can’t do without spices: with their help they give dishes new shades, enhance the taste and create magnificent masterpieces from the usual set of products. Many professionals prefer to add thyme or thyme to dishes , but it is less common in home use. Nevertheless, many readers want to know where to add thyme seasoning, as well as its taste, properties, combination with products. In our article, you can also learn how to use fresh and dry thyme in medicine and cosmetology.
What is thyme?
Thyme also has a second popular name - thyme. In different places it is also called the Bogorodskaya grass, boletus pepper, spruce, cobweed, swan, lemon scent, incense. It is an undersized aromatic shrub or shrub. This is an essential oil plant consisting of phenolic compounds - thymol, carvacrol and others.
Most housewives appreciate it as a spice. The leaves of the plant, which are located on thin stems, are considered a spicy supplement. Small thyme leaves have a rigid structure, oblong shape, slightly resembling leather plates. Further in the article you will learn where to add thyme fresh and dry. Seasoning has a pronounced aroma and a bitter spicy taste.
The ancient Greeks grew this plant in the temples of the goddess Aphrodite. They considered him a symbol of courage and strength. And this is no accident. Fragrant spice is also very good for human health. It contains a lot of essential oil, tar, mineral and organic salts, flavonoids. Due to such a rich composition, it is often included in the composition of many therapeutic folk remedies. Thyme is harvested in Turkey and in European countries - Poland, Czech Republic, Greece.
Types of Thyme
The most common type of thyme is considered to be creeping or ordinary thyme. Besides him, culinary specialists also use lemon and caraway plants. Each of them has its own peculiarity, thanks to which the taste of the dish is emphasized favorably. The pronounced spicy taste of thyme is combined with many products.
Caraway thyme is considered more rare, but it gives the dishes a special piquancy, goes well with meat, chicken and fish. The wild lemon variety has a citrus flavor, which is especially suitable for desserts and seafood.
In Russia and neighboring countries, about 170 species of thyme are growing. The most common types of plants: creeping, flea, Ural, Siberian. There are also Crimean, Dagestan and Kyrgyz. Where do thyme add?
What type of thyme is used
Many are interested in learning not only where to add thyme, but also in what form. To maximize all its taste and aroma, it is better to use fresh branches. But since this product is not always on store shelves, many use it in dried form. The advantages of seasoning from this do not change. It takes time to reveal the aroma of thyme, so it is added to the dish at the very beginning of cooking. Dry leaves are stored in glass, tightly closed jars in a dark place. Thyme seed oil is also used in medicine and cosmetology.
Where and how much to add thyme seasoning?
The use of thyme in cooking is very wide. Now we’ll talk about where to add thyme to food. Often experiments are conducted with this seasoning and it is used even when preparing desserts. Here is a list of dishes you can add dry and fresh thyme to:
- Meat dishes. There is no more unusual dish with a minimum of ingredients than a piece of fresh meat with thyme, that is, barbecue, steak or chicken in the oven. To cook beef steak, put a frying pan on a fire, pour in olive oil and add a few sprigs of thyme. When the pan is well heated, put the meat in it and add 4-5 crushed cloves of garlic. Fry the steak on both sides and salt it. A similar procedure will take you 2-4 minutes, depending on the desired degree of toasting. Transfer meat to a plate, but without garlic and thyme.
- Another meat dish with thyme will be baked chicken in the oven or on the grill. First, marinate the chicken with 50 g of thyme leaves, 150 g of butter and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Rub chicken with this mixture and send to bake.
- Sauerkraut. Many use sauerkraut as a separate dish and as a component for salads and soups. There are many different culinary experiments to give such a cabbage new shades of taste. Many are familiar with sauerkraut recipes with cranberries, raisins, apples. Sometimes a whole bunch of spices with caraway seeds, coriander, allspice and, of course, thyme is used for pickling. You can adjust the proportions of adding thyme yourself, depending on the desired saturation and intensity of taste.
A great addition to salads, fish and soups
We have listed above where thyme is added. In addition to the above dishes with thyme, there are also such:
- First meal. Thyme opens for a long time, so add it to the broth at the very beginning of cooking. For soups, you can use both fresh and dried thyme.
- Vegetable salads. Let us give you an example of the classic Nicoise salad. To prepare it, take 200 gr. cherry tomatoes, 5 quail eggs, one bell pepper, cucumber, onion, anchovies and olives. Season everything with a mixture of olive oil, a pinch of sugar, a spoonful of mustard, thyme, rosemary, dill, black pepper and salt.
- Fish dishes. The fried salmon steak is perfectly complemented by the rich and pleasant taste of thyme. For frying, use olive oil in which add thyme. Add the finished steak with a few drops of lemon juice.
Thyme Tea
And where else add dried thyme? It, like fresh thyme, is great for making tea, because it is an essential oil herb with a lot of phenolic compounds and a number of other components. How does thyme tea affect the body:
- cleanses the intestines from parasites;
- has an analgesic effect;
- has antibacterial properties;
- is an expectorant drink;
- positively affects the digestive system.
Try making tea from thyme. Pour boiling water over several branches of the bush, bring to a boil. Add some honey after cooling and enjoy a spicy drink.
The combination of spices and its replacement with others
With certain products, thyme is used as an independent spice, but it can also be combined with other seasonings: with oregano, bay leaf, parsley, rosemary, marjoram, tarragon, lavender. Thyme will be a great addition to cheeses, beans, carrots, eggplant, chicken, rabbit, pork, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, apples, honey, pear.
Thyme is considered a unique seasoning. What to do if you suddenly did not happen to acquire this spice? You can replace it with marjoram or oregano (oregano).
Where to add fresh thyme for medicinal purposes?
In ancient times, thyme was considered a divine herb, returning to a person not only health, but also life. The ancient Greeks sniffed it like tobacco. Thyme herb is rich in essential oils, tannins and bitter substances, gum, flavonoids, mineral and organic salts. It contains many vitamins of groups A, B, C, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, copper, selenium, zinc and iron.
Thyme is a good antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, antispasmodic, it also has a small hypnotic effect. No wonder it is used in folk medicine. It is suitable for preparing decoctions, infusions, baths. It alleviates the condition with bronchitis, removes sputum, has expectorant properties. Sometimes it is used as a sedative and anticonvulsant.
Thyme essential oil is widely used in cosmetology. This is a great helper in strengthening hair and nails, so it is part of shampoos, lotions and balms.