About Oregano (Origanum vulgare hirtum
aka O. hirtum)
In Italian, oregano is described as condicio sine qua non and we agree: it's one
of that handful of utterly great flavorings.
In the U.S., oregano is--or was--best known as the characteristic taste of well-made
pizza; we say "or was" because well-made pizza, like well-made anything, is becoming
scarcer and scarcer, and blander and blander, so it is not hard to imagine folk who really
don't know the taste of oregano even if they eat a lot of pizza. In any event, though,
oregano has a horde of culinary uses beyond pizza.
(As an example of the sleazy adulteration of modern commercial foodstuffs, consider this
quotation: "Much of the commercially available dried oregano does not come from this
plant but from a number of different, often unrelated plants. These include Lippia
graveolens ["Mexican oregano", related to lemon verbena], L. palmeri and
Origanum syriacum." Swell, huh?)
And just to add to the fun of searching out information, there are numerous floral
varieties from the Origanum genus, most or all referred to as "oregano".
Cultivars
This is tricky business. It is surprising, in light of oregano's status as a great herb,
that there is so much confusion about it. Hard as it is to believe, for example, there
are apparently sources selling pot marjoram (a wildly inferior cousin) as true oregano.
But even beyond basic errors (or frauds) like that, there are many questions about what
"true" oregano is.
Most sources seem confident that the Greek kinds are (not "kind is") the best for most
culinary uses. In the scientific name as we give it above, the hirtum
distinguishes what is called "Greek" oregano from more ordinary kinds, though the
appellation O. heracleoticum appears to another name for be the same species (see
how messy this is?). But even within the species O. vulgare hirtum (or O.
hirtum as it is sometimes given) there are strains; there is, for example, "Greek"
(Greek Greek oregano? apparently so), and "Hot & Spicy Oregano", plus one called
"Kaliteri Oregano", which may be O. hirtum or may be an O. Kaliteri--it is
so listed everywhere we saw it, though, as you now see, that doesn't necessarily mean
much.
Are we having fun yet?
No? Well, "Hot & Spicy" is listed by a different seed house as being O.
microphyllum, not O. hirtum. Now are we having fun? (Oh, and a third house
says it's just O. vulgare, haw, haw.) But note this: Greek and Italian oregano are
hardy to Zone 5, whereas "Hot & Spicy" is only hardy to Zone 7; growing indoors, we
don't care, but that sure seems to mark "Hot & Spicy" as a significantly different
species. There: wasn't that easy?
All for all, it looks to us like the Kaliteri oregano--whatever its exact
botany--is the one to do for real, deep oregano flavor, though to what degree it may be
superior to O. hirtum types is uncertain.
Besides the "real" oreganos, there are at least two others of interest: Italian oregano
(Origanum x majoricum botanically), which is somewhat milder and also sweeter than
Greek oregano (and is a sterlie hybrid, meaning it can only be grown from cuttings); and
"Mexican oregano" (Lippia graveolens), which--though not a true oregano--is fairly
similar to but actually a deal stronger in flavor than Greek oregano, and is used a fair
bit in Mexican cookery. Each of those has its advocates, not as a replacement for Greek
oregano but as an herb of value in its own right (though some cooks will always use
Italian oregano, not Greek, in Italian cooking, using Greek in other ways). Well, the
adventuresome can try one or both of those alternatives and see: it all makes the world a
more interesting place.
Planting
Oregano is notoriously quite variable when grown from seed, so purchase of a plant from a
reliable herb and spice specialist house is recommended, with an emphasis on the
"reliable" part (even the seedsmen get sent false varieties, and we must rely on them to
spot those and send us only wnat we really have ordered).
Oregano is not at all fussy about soil conditions, save the usual requirement that it be
well-drained. It has reportedly a slight preference for lightly alkaline soils, but few
worry much about that. As with most herbs, average to poor soils produce the most
concentrated flavors.
Growing
Water sparingly, as with most herbs.
To maintain its vigor, it is wise to divide the plant every few years; autumn or spring
are the best times for division.
This is another herb set back by cooking, and so best added to any dish just shortly
before serving it.
Relevant Links
Besides any links presented above on this page, the following ought to be especially helpful.
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