| HERB | TASTE | BEST WITH | HOW TO USE | HERB COMBINATIONS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arugula | Pungent, peppery bite. | Salads, butters, sauteed with greens, egg dishes | Use leaves whole or shred. |
Good with basil, borage, cress, dill, lovage, mint, and sage |
| Basil | Sweet with warm, clovelike flavor. | Tomatoes, cheese, (particularily goat and mozzarella), poultry, eggs, vegetables, authentic pesto sauce. | Use whole, or shred leaves. |
Combines well with bay, garlic, marjoram, oregano, savory, and thyme in cooked dishes. Goes well with chives, dill, garlic, mint, nasturtium, parsley, and watercress when used fresh. |
| Bay Leaf | Bay leaves are pungent and have a sharp, bitter taste. | They are used in soups, stews, meat, seafood and vegetable dishes. | Whole leaves are used, and added early in cooking as their flavor releases slowly, and should be removed before dish is served. | Goes well with parsley, thyme, oregano, sage, and garlic. Usually used in boquet garni. |
| Borage | Faint taste of cucumber. | Best in salads, fruit drinks, teas, and vinegars | Use blossoms and leaves whole. Leaves can be cooked as a vegetable. |
Good with arugula, cress, dill, chervil, and parsley. |
| Burnet | Flavor resembles cucumber. | Green salads, cream and cottage cheese, vinegars | Use leaves whole. | Fine with chervil, parsley, rosemary, and tarragon. |
| Caraway | Slight cumin flavor. | Breads, cakes, cookies, soups, stews, vegetables such as beets, cabbage, and potatoes. |
Use chopped leaves or seeds. Hollow stems can be cooked as a vegetable and candied like angelica. |
Use with bay, garlic, parsley, and thyme. |
| Chervil | Slight anise flavor. | Salads, egg dishes, and omelets, soups, sauces. | Chop leaves or use whole. Best used fresh or cooked briefly. | Can also be used with borage, cress, dill, lemon balm, and sorrel. |
| Chives | Delicate, onion-like flavor. | Herb butters, potatoes, vegetables, eggs, fish, soups, salads, sauces. | Snip or use whole fresh stems. Chives need little cooking. Use flowers also. | Goes well with basil, chervil, cilantro, cress, dill, lemon balm, marjoram, nasturtium, oregano, parsley, sorrel, tarragon, and thyme. |
| Cilantro | Distinctive minty flavor and aroma. |
Affinity for avacados and hot chili peppers. Use with chicken, seafood, in Chinese, Thai, Mexican, and Indian dishes, tomato and other sauces. |
Use whole, snipped, or chopped leaves and tender stems. Don't dry it and don't cook it. Add just before serving. | Can be combined with chives, garlic, marjoram, oregano, and parsley. |
| Cress | Peppery flavor. | Salads, soups, sandwich fillings, stir-fried as a vegetable. | Use leaves and tender young stems. Best flavor when used raw. |
Cress harmonizes with bay, borage, chervil, chives, dill, garlic, marjoram, parsley, savory, shallots, sorrel, and tarragon. |
| Dill | Refreshing slightly sweet flavor with a hint of caraway. | Seafood, potatoes, cucumbers, chicken, salads, carrots, tomatoes, eggs, salad greens, biscuits, and bread. | Snip or chop leaves. Most flavorful raw, but stands up well to cooking. | Goes with basil, bay, borage, chervil, chives, garlic, mint, nasturtium, parsley, sorrel, tarragon, and watercress. |
| Fennel | Slight anise flavor. Similar to dill in most respects. | Excellent for fish, sauces, soups, stuffings, and salads. | Chop leaves or use seeds. | Fennel goes well with basil, cilantro, chives, garlic, oregano, parsley, sage, shallots, and tarragon. |
| Garlic | Sweet, pungent, stronger than onion flavor. | Use with meats, fish, roast lamb, salads, salad dressings, pasta sauces, vegetables, cheese dishes, garlic bread. | Cook whole unpeeled buds, whole or chopped peeled cloves. Tame pungency by blanching and long cooking. |
Robust flavor can add subtlety or intensity to food. Goes well with most herbs, use sparingly with chervil, chives, lemon balm and mint. |
| Leek | Mild onion flavor. |
Use alone as a vegetable or in soups, sauces, and stuffings for chicken, fish, and meats. Use julienne strips as a garnish. |
Trim and cook whole, chop or julienne white bulb. | Can be combined with bay, dill, parsley, tarragon, and thyme. |
| Lemon Balm | Sweet, citrusy flavor. | Excellent in salads, fresh fruit compotes, custards, fish, chicken, butter sauces, rice, tea, and summer beverages. | Use leaves whole or chopped. | Overpowered by stronger herbs. Can be used with chervil, chives, dill, fennel, mint, parsley, shallots, and very carefully with garlic. |
| Lemon Verbena | Strong, aromatic lemon flavor. | Use in place of lemon zest in desserts, soups, salads, fruit dishes, summer coolers. | Strip leaves from stems. Use whole or chopped. | Can be combined with basil, chives, mint, parsley, and tarragon. |
| Lovage | Flavor similar to celery, but harsher. |
Add to stuffings, soups, stews, egg dishes, chop leaves over fish and meat. |
Use leaves and tender stems sparingly in place of celery. | Goes well with garlic, marjoram, oregano, parsley, and thyme. |
| Marjoram | Sweet, mild flavor. | Use on almost any meat or vegetable, poultry and game, fish, beans, pizza, stuffings, fish sauces, cheese and egg dishes. | Strip leaves from stems. Use whole or chopped. | One of the most compatible herbs - goes well with basil, bay, chives, cilantro, garlic, oregano, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme. |
| Mint | Cool and refreshing 'minty' flavor. |
Peas, lamb, veal, green or fruit salad, fish, poultry, Middle Eastern dishes, cucumbers, steep for tea or iced beverages. |
Use sprigs, whole snipped or chopped leaves. | Use carefully with other herbs, can be combined with basil, lemon balm, nasturtium, parsley, tarragon, and watercress. |
| Nasturtium | Flowers taste honey sweet, leaves have a peppery taste. | Salads, soups, sandwiches, and as a garnish. | Use flowers and leaves whole or chopped. | Good with basil, chives, cress, dill, mint, and parsley. |
| Oregano | Robust, pungent flavor similar to marjoram but stronger. | Tomatoes, lamb, pork, beef, chicken, salad dressings, bean soup, seafood, all types of vegetables, Italian, Greek, and Mexican dishes. | Strip leaves from the stems. Use whole or chopped. | Flavor blends well with basil, bay, chives, cilantro, garlic, marjoram, mint, parsley, savory, and thyme. |
| Parsley | Faint, celery-like flavor. | Virtually all food. Enhances the flavors and appearance of most foods. | Snip or chop leaves. | One of the herbs of bouquet garni, with bay and thyme. Combines well with all other herbs. |
| Rosemary | Piquant, pine-like flavor. | Lamb, poultry, pork, grilled meats vegetables, marinades, breads. |
Use sprigs or strip leaves from stems. Use whole or chopped. Can be soaked in water and thrown on coals to add flavor to barbecue. |
Goes well with bay, garlic, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, savory, and thyme. |
| Sage | Aromatic, woodsy flavor. | Predominent seasonings in sausage and bread stuffings, game, fatty meats, vegetables, veal. | Use whole or chopped. |
Works well with other robust herbs such as bay, garlic, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, and thyme. |
| Savory | Peppery taste. | Known as the "bean" herb. Also use with tomatoes, fish, poultry, stews, pork and veal, salads. | Use sprigs or chop leaves. | Combines well with basil, bay, garlic, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme. |
| Shallots | Mild onion flavor. |
Excellant cooked whole as a vegetable, fish and seafood, pasta, poultry and game, mustards, soups, sauces. |
Peel and use whole or chopped. | Combines well with basil, bay, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme. |
| Sorrel |
Spinach-like greens with a sour, lemony tang. |
Excellent in soups, green salads, sauces, as garnish. | Use leaves whole or shredded. Add during last minutes of cooking. | Can be used with basil, chives, dill, garlic, parsley, and tarragon. |
| Tarragon | Piquant, mild licorice flavor. | Seafood, poultry, veal, fruit, herb butters, marinades, salad dressings, and vinegars. | Use sprigs or strip leaves from stem. Use whole or chopped. |
Excellant combined with basil, bay, chervil, fennel, garlic, parsley, and shallots. Tarragon also blends well with cress, dill, mint, savory, sorrel, and thyme. |
| Thyme | Spicy, slightly sweet flavor. | Chicken, veal, vegetables, marinades, soups, stews, Creole dishes. | Use sprigs or strip leaves from stem. Use whole. | Good herb for combining with basil, bay, chives, garlic, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, and tarragon. |