Will the real oregano please stand up?
The trouble with common names is that its application varies depending on where one is. Take oregano. The 'real' oregano (Oreganum vulgare) is from Eurasia and the Mediterranean and bear purple flowers. In the Philippines, the name oregano is applied on a different plant with larger leaves and lavender blooms, and is known scientifically as Plectranthus amboinicus. Both Oreganum and Plectranthus belong to the same family however- Lamiaceae. But, when you go to local garden centers, you may see small-leaved herbs with sprawling, wiry stems labelled Oregano (even 'Marjoram') complete with the correct scientific name, but is a totally different plant from an absolutely different family. And yes, that's the one in the photo below.
Known scientifically as Lippia micromera, this herb goes by the name of Spanish oregano or Spanish thyme (the name Spanish thyme is also used for P. amboinicus; this should give you an idea as to why we should settle for scientific names as much as we can- so that we all speak the same language), but the geographic designation is entirely arbitrary as the plant is actually native to the Caribbean. One can say that the 'Spanish' bit is conjured only to mirror the Latino background of Central American cultures. Nevertheless, this plant is from the Verbenaceae family, which includes the popular garden shrub Aloysia virgata, colloquially known simply in gardens as 'verbena'. Like that species, L. micromera also has fragrant flowers, but the scent of the latter is weaker and only detectable only when your nose is touching those little blossoms.
Despite the very obvious differences in identity and familial affiliation, why then were these plants called 'oregano'? When you rub the leaves of each of these herbs, you will notice that the aroma is practically one and the same, and that is because they all share the same compounds, particularly carvacrol and thymol, with the latter finding its way on mouthwashes. And this means too that they can all be used in the same dishes- almost. The taste of P. amboinicus is however more potent than that of the real thing, and is often used for goat meat, game, and fish. However, here in the Philippines it seems to be rarely used in the preparation of dishes, being more utilized as a cure for cough; Spanish oregano incidentally is also used to treat cough, among other ailments. The real oregano, O. vulgare, has found wide usage in both Mediterranean and Latin American dishes, while L. micromera appears restricted in its use in the Americas, although it is also applied on experimental and so-called fusion dishes around Asia.
I have a potted plant of the Spanish oregano and, believe it or not, it is placed among my collection of succulents, not because it is one, but due to its tolerance for very hot, dryish conditions. I have included other herbs in the past among these arid-loving plants, including rosemary, mints, and lavender, but Lippia is the most resilient so far. I used to have P. amboinicus too but it takes up a lot of space and maintenance time to keep it from scrambling out of bounds.
And besides, I rarely get cough.
Known scientifically as Lippia micromera, this herb goes by the name of Spanish oregano or Spanish thyme (the name Spanish thyme is also used for P. amboinicus; this should give you an idea as to why we should settle for scientific names as much as we can- so that we all speak the same language), but the geographic designation is entirely arbitrary as the plant is actually native to the Caribbean. One can say that the 'Spanish' bit is conjured only to mirror the Latino background of Central American cultures. Nevertheless, this plant is from the Verbenaceae family, which includes the popular garden shrub Aloysia virgata, colloquially known simply in gardens as 'verbena'. Like that species, L. micromera also has fragrant flowers, but the scent of the latter is weaker and only detectable only when your nose is touching those little blossoms.
Despite the very obvious differences in identity and familial affiliation, why then were these plants called 'oregano'? When you rub the leaves of each of these herbs, you will notice that the aroma is practically one and the same, and that is because they all share the same compounds, particularly carvacrol and thymol, with the latter finding its way on mouthwashes. And this means too that they can all be used in the same dishes- almost. The taste of P. amboinicus is however more potent than that of the real thing, and is often used for goat meat, game, and fish. However, here in the Philippines it seems to be rarely used in the preparation of dishes, being more utilized as a cure for cough; Spanish oregano incidentally is also used to treat cough, among other ailments. The real oregano, O. vulgare, has found wide usage in both Mediterranean and Latin American dishes, while L. micromera appears restricted in its use in the Americas, although it is also applied on experimental and so-called fusion dishes around Asia.
I have a potted plant of the Spanish oregano and, believe it or not, it is placed among my collection of succulents, not because it is one, but due to its tolerance for very hot, dryish conditions. I have included other herbs in the past among these arid-loving plants, including rosemary, mints, and lavender, but Lippia is the most resilient so far. I used to have P. amboinicus too but it takes up a lot of space and maintenance time to keep it from scrambling out of bounds.
And besides, I rarely get cough.
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