Herb Glossary: Epazote to K Lime
Culinary Uses of Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Juniper and More
These plants have a myriad of medicinal, culinary and decorative uses, several of which are detailed here.
This glossary lists the Latin and common names of each herb and spice, many of which can be grown by the average home gardener.
Epazote - Chenopodium ambrosioides - a tropical American weed, which is also known as the bean plant or Mexican tea. The leaves of this plant are often used in Latin American dishes to flavor corn, beans, mushrooms, seafood, fish, soups and sauces.
False Roselle - Hibiscus acetosella, AKA cranberry hibiscus - the young leaves can be eaten raw in salads or sautéed in stir-fries. False roselle has Japanese maple-like burgundy foliage and makes a wonderful ornamental landscaping plant.
Fennel - Foeniculum vulgare - edible leaves, stems, flowers and seeds all of which have a licorice-like flavor. Available in the common green variety, and a decorative bronze variety. This herb can be used as a carminative to help expel gas. Fennel is also host plant for black swallowtail butterflies and makes a nice addition to the butterfly garden.
Fenugreek - Trigonella foenum-graecum - edible leaves and seeds. The toasted and ground seeds are one of the ingredients commonly used in curry powder blends.
Garlic - Allium sativum - in addition to being a terrific culinary flavoring, garlic is also used medicinally for it’s cholesterol lowering properties.
Garlic chives - Allium tuberosum - the edible leaves and flowers add a mild garlic flavor to your salads and recipes. Garlic chives are best cut using a pair of scissors rather than a knife.
Gem series marigolds - Tagetes tenuifolia - the fresh edible flowers can be added to salads while the dried flowers can be added to potpourri blends. Available in a yellow flowered lemon gem variety and a orange flowered tangerine gem variety.
Ginger - Zingiber officinale - edible rhizomes used in a variety of culinary creations such as Asian style stir-fries. Fresh ginger root also makes a great tea when mixed with a bit of lemon and honey. Ginger helps to relieve the nausea associated with motion sickness and morning sickness.
Greek oregano - Origanum onites - the leaves and flowers are used as a culinary herb.
Holy basil - Ocimum tenuiflorum - culinary herb, the purple and green leaves and burgundy flower stalks make this a wonderful ornamental plant as well.
Hyssop - Hyssopus officinalis - the edible flowers are used in fresh salads while the dried leaves can be used in medicinal tea blends.
Juniper - Juniperus communis - the dried, ripe berries of this evergreen are used to flavor game meats and stews.
Kaffir lime - Citrus hystrix - Kaffir lime leaves can be used fresh, frozen or dried in a variety of culinary creations. The rind of these fruits is sometimes ground in a mortar and pestle, along with other spices, to make a green curry paste which is used in certain Thai-style recipes. The extremely sour juice of the fruit of this plant are used less frequently in cooking.
