Multiple flavors of oregano

Oregano is the best-selling herb in the United States. It is an essential ingredient in a wide variety of foods. A large percentage is used in herb-based salt substitutes, as people look for ways to reduce their sodium intake.

Classifying oregano plants is not easy; there are many species and subspecies as well as varieties of those species in the genus Origanum. Innumerable naturally occurring hybrids of the herb are in gardens all over the world. Different cultures prefer their own particular type of oregano. If that weren’t enough, greenhouses and propagators often inadvertently mislabel their plants. Plus, there are other plants that are commonly called oregano that only taste similar. That is an example of using common names causing confusion, which is why boranists always use scientific names when talking about plants.

In my garden I grow two different types of oregano and have no idea what variety -- or even what species -- they are.

One has an upright growth habit and easily reaches 2 feet high if I let it grow. Its leaves, with very little hair and a loose growth pattern on the stem, strongly resemble a variety I grew 20 years ago. At that time, I started the plants from seed and they were the only home-grown oregano I used for a long time.

My other oregano sprawls over the ground as it grows and its stems are only about 8 inches long. The leaves are very hairy and grow more tightly together.

The tall oregano plants grow really fast and have established themselves here and there in the  perennial garden. It can easily hold its own against other vigorous nearby plants and weeds.

The sprawling variety on the other hand, is slow growing and doesn’t seem to compete well against other plants. I have a few plants growing in a container and they seem to be quite happy there all by themselves.

As far as taste goes, the tall oregano has a mild flavor. The short variety has more of a kick to it, with a peppery bite that hits the taste buds right away then quickly settles down.

Heat is not the only thing that is different, each has its own unique taste profile. I dry both and use them in different recipes. Fortunately, oregano holds its flavor much better than just about any other herb when dried.

When buying plants in the spring, you can’t put too much stock on the labels. So to decide which plant to buy, pinch off a small leaf and crush it to release its aroma. Better still, taste it and see if it meets your culinary needs and expectations.

In the supermarket, those little bottles of dried oregano do not contain  100% of the same variety of oregano. Most of the time a sizable percentage of it is not even from the Oreganum genus, rather it’s cut with dried leaves of other spicy plants.

Since virtually all so-called oregano sold today is imported from China, I’d rather grow my own or purchase it from a local farmers market.