Herbology And Flavours In Food Explained !!

What is Food without Flavors , Taste & Presentation ??

 Not appealing right !! Herbs and Spice plays a very important role in food .In my earlier blog I talked about four such herbs...Here's part  2 to that blog . Today. Lets talk about more such herb that make our food worth dying for .

                                                    

To know about Herbs like Thyme , Rosemary , Parsley .

Visit my earlier blog : 

"Pleasing To The Eyes , But The Plate Went Unnoticed"-   https://happilyveggie.blogspot.in/2017/04/pleasing-to-nose-but-plate-went.html

Let's continue with some other Herbs :

• Basil (Osimum Basilicum)

Basil is the most popular and widely used culinary herb . It is an aromatic plant with a spicy odour and flavor.The size of the leaves can be as big as lettuce or can be as small as half an inch . Basil prefers a sunny location, and a soil that is well supplied with organic matter and is fertile.  Basil also likes to be kept well-watered.  Poorly prepared soils that are low in nutrients result in slow growing basil that is not very flavorful.  Basil is excellent as a decorative/culinary herb in patio or balcony containers or in the garden.

Basil is easily dried for storing and future use.  It is used to flavor soups, stews, tomato dishes, meat, game, fish, egg dishes, herb butters and herb vinegars.

Popular Varieties

Sweet Basil Group: These are the familiar sweet scented types.

• Napoletano – Standard lettuce-leaved.
• Medinette – Compact, large leaf.
• Romanesco – Large leaf with strong aroma.

Genovese Group: Classic large leaf from the Genoa area of Italy, the pesto capital of the world.

• Genovese – Classic.
• Emily - Compact variety.
• Dolly – Heavy produce of large leaves.  More cold tolerant.

Bush Group:  Smaller, rounded forms often with small, finer textured foliage.

• Spicy Globe – Uniform and dense.
• Green Globe – Dense, tight globe form.
• Bush – Standard bush variety.

Purple Group:  Basils with dark purple to bronze foliage. They are often very decorative.

• Dark Opal – Pure dark purple foliage excellent for vinegars.
• Emerald Wine™ - Compact, wine red leaf veins surrounded by a green border.
• Rubin – Purple bronze foliage.

Other Basils:  A selection of basils with distinctive flavors and aromas.

• Cinnamon – Distinctive cinnamon taste and aroma.
• Lemon – Intense lemon fragrance.
• Clove – Clove scented leaves.
• Thai – Licorice-like aroma.

• ·         Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum )

Chives belong to the same family as onion, leeks and garlic. They grow in clumps from underground bulbs and produce round, hollow leaves that are much finer than onion. Chives prefer a full sun location and are tolerant of a wide variety of soils but will grow best in soils that are high in organic matter. 

 Chives also make attractive edging in the perennial border and flowers can be cut for arrangements. Flowers can also be harvested for use as an edible garnish.  Leaves are used fresh and can be dried but will discolor and quickly absorb moisture.  Chives can also be frozen for later use. Leaves can be used to flavor salads, dips, soups, stews, vinegars, cheese dishes sour cream and butter.  Flavor is much milder and more subtle than other members of the onion family.

Popular Varieties

• ‘Grolau’ Chives - This Swiss strain has been developed for indoor culture and greenhouse forcing.  Extra strong flavor and thick, dark leaves.  Less susceptible to becoming leggy.

• ‘Nelly’ Chives - Fine texture leaves, blue-green in color, uniform upright habit.

• ‘Profusion’® Chives - Prolific production of leaves and flowers. Flowers are sterile and don’t produce seeds.  Good variety for pot culture.

• ‘Staro’ Chives – Extra thick dark leaves.

• Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) – Also called Chinese Chives. Similar in appearance to garden chives but leaves are flat and not round and flowers are white not pink.  Growing to about 12-18 inches. Culture is the same as for garden chives. Distinct garlic flavor to the leaves.  Excellent as an ornamental-edible border plant. Cultivar ‘Kobold’ is more compact and uniform. 

·         Lemon Grass (Cymbopogan Citratus)

Lemon grass is a grass like plant with long slender foliage growing to about 2-3 feet tall.  Leaves are grayish-green in color. The stems and leaves of lemon grass impart and infuse a lemon like tangy flavor when used in cooking . Lemon grass is easily grown from stem cuttings or divisions.  If lemon grass is found in the produce section of the grocery store, those stems can often be rooted. 

USAGE :

Leaves are used to flavor fish, soups, curries, sauces, and teas.  The stems and leaves are used in Vietnamese and Thai dishes.  Larger parts of the stalk can be added to stews or soup .

Popular Varities

·         Lemon Grass ( Grown , East Indian ) : Contains the essential oils citral, geraniol, geranial, and other delicate oils which lend a lemony-citrus fragrance.

Culinary: Use it to make a citrus-like lemonade or tea, or use it in soups with poultry, fish and sea food, or as a late ingredient in vegetable and tofu stir-fry. Perfumery: Use in potpourris. Medicinal: A tea made from the leaves has anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Used by the Vietnamese to treat rheumatism. Topically applied as a poultice for fungus infections such as athlete’s foot.

·         Lemon Grass ( Grown , West Indian ) : Used in Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Asian dishes. It adds a Lemon tang to Stir Fries, Soups and many Chinese culinary delights. Magical powers of lust, snake repellent and psychic powers have been suggested. Also acts as an insect deterrent. Grow in moist, fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Will tolerate light shade.

lSo , cook your hearts out . Discover various flavors , herbs and spices . And keeping looking for this space for more about herbs and food .

   To know more about Herbs : http://extension.illinois.edu/herbs/directory.cfm  

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