flavor, more often used in candies than in cooking Mint family anatomy A leaf of oregano, showing the microscopic oil glands that cover the surfaces of herbs in the mint family The fragile, exposed glands filled with pungent essential oil offer a first line of defense against predators Hyssop Hyssop is an ambiguous name It is sometimes applied to a kind of plant mentioned in the Bible and much used in the Middle East, a cluster of species characterized by the penetrating quality of true oregano (see below) Hyssop proper, Hyssopus officinalis, is a milder-mannered European herb with fresh-spicy and camphor notes It was enjoyed in ancient Rome but is now more commonly used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking Hyssop contributes to the flavors of several alcohols, including Pernod, Ricard, and Chartreuse Lavender Lavender is a Mediterranean plant long and widely valued for its tenacious floral-woody perfume (from a mix of flowery linalyl acetate and linalool, plus eucalyptuslike cineole), but more familiar in soaps and candles than in foods; its name comes from the Latin for “wash.” Still, the dried blossoms o f Lavandula dentata are a traditional ingredient in the mixture herbes de provence (along with basil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and fennel) They and the blossoms of English lavender, L angustifolia, are also useful alone when used discreetly as a garnish or to infuse their qualities in sauces and sweets Spanish lavender (L stoechas) has a complex scent reminiscent of Indian chutneys Lemon Balm Lemon or bee balm is an Old World species, Melissa officinalis, ... the Latin for “wash.” Still, the dried blossoms o f Lavandula dentata are a traditional ingredient in the mixture herbes de provence (along with basil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and fennel) They and the blossoms of English lavender, L... floral-woody perfume (from a mix of flowery linalyl acetate and linalool, plus eucalyptuslike cineole), but more familiar in soaps and candles than in foods; its name comes from the Latin for “wash.” Still, the dried blossoms...used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking Hyssop contributes to the flavors of several alcohols, including Pernod, Ricard, and Chartreuse Lavender Lavender is a Mediterranean plant long and widely valued