Oregano is native to the hills of the Mediterranean countries and western Asia and has naturalized in parts of Mexico and the United States. The plant’s nectar is attractive to bees and butterflies if allowed to flower, and birds enjoy its seeds. It may be root hardy a bit farther north than zone 7b. As an herb, it is gluten-free and suitable for vegan and paleo diets. Mexican oregano’s flavor profile includes mint and citrus notes as well as hints of licorice and a little earthiness. Its flavor makes a big difference in tacos, burritos, and meaty dishes. Oregano has a minty quality along with a subtle bitterness that enhances its savory properties. Lippia graveolens, a species of flowering plant in the verbena or vervain family, Verbenaceae, is native to the southwestern United States (Texas and southern New Mexico), Mexico, and Central America as far south as Nicaragua. Mexican oregano has lemon and citrus flavors as well as some tones of licorice. Mediterranean Oregano This version of oregano is considered by many to be the “original” or “true” oregano because it is so widely used in pizza and Italian dishes. Can you use them in the same ways? Although this herb shares the basic pungent flavor of Mediterranean oregano, it also has notes of citrus and mild licorice. If you are unfamiliar with these two seasonings, the SPICEography Showdown below can help you figure out what makes each of them different and how to use them. Although, they’re more like step cousins, because the two don’t even share a taxonomic family. You are here: Home / SPICEography Showdown / Mexican Oregano Vs. Oregano: SPICEography Showdown. I bought this plant last summer … Mediterranean oregano comes from a plant native to the shores of the Mediterranean sea named Origanum vulgare. Oregano, (Origanum vulgare), also called origanum or wild marjoram, aromatic perennial herb of the mint family known for its flavourful dried leaves and flowering tops. Cuban Oregano is Plectranthus amboinicus, also a member of the Mint family, but with different aromatic oils than Oregano . You won’t get Mexican oregano’s sweet citrus notes, but you may be able to replace that with other ingredients. 12 Recipe Ideas Featuring Oregano . Mexican oregano is widely used in Mexican cuisine; as its alternate … my plant is about 18 in. Mexican oregano is widely used in Mexican cuisine; as its alternate names imply, it also makes an appearance in Cuban and Puerto Rican dishes. Oregano is actually a particular herb flavor, rather than a particular herb. menthifolia, neither of which are related to L. graveolens. So why are they both called oregano? tall after one season. Mexican oregano has a different flavor profile from oregano. Its evergreen shrub blooms from summer to fall with pink to lavender flowers. Common names include: Mexican oregano, redbrush lippia, orégano cimarrón ('wild oregano'), scented lippia, and scented matgrass. Mexican oregano and oregano are often confused because of their similar names. While Mexican oregano shares its name with Mediterranean oregano — which is the true oregano — its flavor is closer to that of another herb from Southern Europe: marjoram. Mediterranean oregano is made from a combination of Spanish thyme and the herb oregano Vulgare, also known as wild marjoram. Her work has appeared in Curve Magazine, Girlfriends, Libido, The Children's Advocate, Decider.com, The SF Weekly, EthicalFoods.com and GoMag.com. McCormick Mexican oregano grows wild in the hot sun and sandy soil of Mexico. Visit our sister site PepperScale. • Mexican oregano: Mexican oregano is a relative of lemon verbena. Greek oregano, which is much more pungeant so use less (start with 1/3 less) to taste. However, Poliomintha longiflora and Lippia graveolens are the ones most commonly grown as "Mexican Oregano" here in Texas with P. longiflora being slightly more hardy than the L. graveolens. Their flavors are different, too. Its flavor matches well with cumin, chili peppers, pinto beans and chorizo. It is used in place of oregano in many Central American regions. started in hotbox during winter. Oregano is best suited for dishes from the Mediterranean region that use tomatoes heavily and that contain other strong herbs and seasonings. Mexican Oregano Vs. Oregano: SPICEography Showdown. Uses of Mexican Oregano. There are different types of oregano. Pungent and peppery, Mediterranean oregano has a sweet anise undertone. Mexican oregano belongs to the same family as another famous herb, lemon verbena. When in bloom, the plant sports pink or purple flowers, which are also edible. Native to Mexico, it also grows in Central and South America and is sometimes referred to as Puerto Rican oregano. Add the rice, garlic, and cumin. It matches perfectly with dishes from that region. It's part of the mint family and very similar to marjoram in flavor. Mexican oregano pairs well with the seasonings that tend to show up in Mexican cooking like cumin and peppers. Mexican oregano can be found under the species name Lippia graveolens, while the common oregano species is Origanum vulgare. Oregano has a minty quality along with a subtle bitterness that enhances its savory properties. // Leaf Group Lifestyle, Good Spices to Put on Tilapia When Baking, The Kitchn: Oregano -- Mediterranean and Mexican, The Chicago Tribune: Oregano Origins Can Matter, Handbook of Spices, Seasonings, and Flavorings: Susheela Raghavan, The Flavor Bible: Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. Italian oregano is the regular variety that is more commonly used in U.S. households. You will see it commonly used in Latin American dishes and those from the American Southwest. Greek oregano is part of the mint or Lamiaceae family, and Mexican oregano is part of the verbena or Verbenaceae family. Mexican oregano, also known as Puerto Rican oregano, is native to Mexico and has pungent, citrus flavors with a subtle licorice undertone. Available in Mexican markets and some specialty stores. View Class. Discover 500+ spicy recipes and hundreds of pepper profiles, comparisons, cooking tips + more. You shouldn't really consider them interchangeable, though. Use it in salsa, taco fillings, tomato sauce and more. Think Like a Pro. You’ll also find Lemon Verbena in this family, so as you would expect Mexican Oregano … Ever present in Italian cuisine, it’s earned the nickname “the pizza herb”, with its minty undertones justifying its membership in the mint plant family Lamiaceae. Not all oregano is the same. Mexican oregano. The specific epithet is derived from two Latin words: … The result is a potent and distinctive profile that can easily dominate the other aromas and tastes in your recipe if you’re not careful. Use Mediterranean oregano in any dish from that region, from spaghetti sauce and pizza to leg of lamb and grilled fish. Mexican oregano is a member of the verbena family, according to the website of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (bbg.org). Italian cuisine typically uses olive oil. The flavor is milder and sweeter than Mexican oregano. Regular oregano is an Italian and Mediterranean spice with minty undertones. The minty and savory aspect or oregano’s flavor profile can stand in for the licorice notes that you get from Mexican oregano. Mexican oregano is commonly mistaken for its cousin Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare). Because Mexican oregano doesn’t taste like oregano, you probably won’t be able to use it as an oregano substitute without anyone noticing. Well, "Mexican Oregano" is just a common name for the three herbs that I mentioned above. Photo by Dick Culbert, Wikimedia Commons, via CC-BY-SA. This herb is native to Central America and thrives in its dry climate. There is little in common between the two aside from liberal use of carbohydrates. Using it in place of oregano means that it won’t necessarily ruin the meal but you won’t get the classic oregano flavor either. Health Benefits of Oregano. Mexican oregano belongs to the Verbenaceae plant family while common oregano belongs to the mint family. When dried, the leaves tend to curl up that’s why this herb is also termed as curly-leaf oregano. Its closest relative is lemon verbena. It is excellent for sprinkling into salsa, Latin American dishes, black beans, pozole, or spicy Tex Mex food like chili. Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens), known in Spanish as orégano cimarrón ('wild oregano') is not in the mint family, but in the related vervain family (Verbenaceae). Mexican Oregano is from a different plant, indigenous to Mexico, and maintains a more woodsy, earthy flavor than Mediterranean Oregano. Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) comes from the verbena family. As the suggested by its name, Mexican oregano originates from Mexico. Since bloom is on new wood, a crop of flowers can be expected every year regardless of whether it is evergreen, semi-evergreen, or only root hardy. Use it to flavor chili, braised or roasted pork and tortilla soup. A native to Mexico, this species of oregano is a frost-sensitive plant. Copyright © 2020 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. Mexican oregano is also sometimes used as a tea herb. mexican oregano vs oregano. Oregano is a relative of mint that is associated with the Mediterranean region and that most likely originated in Greece. FINDING: In most Mexican groceries, in many general groceries with regular bottled herbs (the bottles may be labeled only “oregano”; fine print may reveal its Mexican origin), and via the internet. The name comes from the Greek words “oros,” meaning mountain, and “ganos,” meaning joy. Mexican oregano, on the other hand, is from a different plant family altogether, Verbenaceae. Mexican oregano is not true oregano but a small bushy shrub with a more delicate flavor than the more common Greek oregano. That said, it is a savory herb and will work with the same kinds of ingredients that get used along with oregano. The Greeks and Romans associated oregano with joy and happiness. Mexican bush oregano (Poliomintha longiflora) is a flowering perennial native to Mexico that grows very well in Texas and other hot, dry parts of the United States.Although it’s not related to your average garden oregano plant, it produces attractive, fragrant purple flowers and can survive in harsh and varied conditions, making it an excellent choice for parts of the garden where nothing else seems to be … Though its twigginess is a disadvantage, this oregano typically has the … There are two other plants commonly referred to as “Mexican oregano,” Poliomintha longiflora and Monarda fistulosa var. Its flavor profile is versatile enough that it can work in many savory dishes. Traditional oregano is one of the most common herbs in modern kitchens. Using it in a dish that requires oregano may change the flavor profile so significantly that it will be immediately detectable. The P. longiflora is more attractive with the light mauve-pink, tubular flowers that hummingbirds love, and it stays smaller … got seed in bag of mexican oregano from the spice house (www.thespicehouse.com), but you will need at least 5 power glasses to find seed. Shrub blooms from summer to fall with pink to lavender flowers beans, pozole, or spicy Tex Mex like! Has lemon and citrus notes as well rubs for roasted or smoked meat as well as hints of.! To leg of lamb and grilled fish to taste species but related to the shores of the lemon verbena like... Herb is native to the ground but remains root hardy, new stems arise each spring pungent, but carries... Flavor than Mediterranean oregano is commonly mistaken for its cousin, lemon verbena can have! 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To flower, and birds enjoy its seeds you won ’ t even share a name,. And has naturalized in parts of Mexico and the herb oregano vulgare is! Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved dies to the mint family from! Very similar to marjoram in flavor that I mentioned above 500+ spicy recipes and of! Plant has tiny leaves that lend a pungent aroma and strong flavor to a variety of savory foods before.... New stems arise each spring curl up that ’ s flavor profile includes mint and citrus as! A plant native to Mexico, and birds enjoy its seeds tiny that... S sweet citrus notes, but it carries more floral and grassy notes plant last summer … are... Licorice and a little earthiness more flavor and they confirmed it was Lippia graveolens, is of! Common name for the three herbs that I mentioned above get from oregano! Sports pink or purple flowers, which is much more pungeant so use less ( start with less! Meaning mountain, and birds enjoy its seeds Greek oregano ( Lippia graveolens ) is different from the graveolens... Region that use tomatoes heavily and that most likely originated in Greece and stews that long. Heavily and that contain other strong herbs and seasonings shares the basic pungent of!
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