Fresh oregano

The warm, balsamic and aromatic flavor of oregano makes it the perfect addition to Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines. This popular herb whose name means "mountain joy" is available throughout the year. Oregano is known botanically as Origanum vulgare. It is a small shrub with multi-branched stems covered with small grayish-green oval leaves and small white or pink flowers. Oregano seems like a straightforward enough herbs. Anyone who has tasted a tomato-sauce-topped pizza can recall its flavour, which is hearty and assertive with a peppery bite and a zing. Their flavour depends largely on where they're cultivated; in general the hotter the sun, the stronger the flavour.