Oregano - different yet similar

bethk wrote:I've seen references to using a specific regional oregano noted in recipes for years but seldom gave it much thought.  Then a friend of mine served a Mexican dish made using the Mexican variety and I noticed it was very different from the Greek variety I had in my pantry and used for my simple, yet delicious, Greek salad dressing made with equal parts lemon juice, Greek olive oil, dried Greek oregano and salt.

So I finally did a few searches and came away with this link that explains the flavor differences better than I could...

http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-mediterra-93923

I'm not a big fan of Mexican/Southwest cuisine so I imagine I will simply stock the Greek variety in my pantry.

bethk wrote:My "go to" fresh herb is thyme...I like it with chicken and beef and pork.  Basil is one I use fresh with my tomato bruschetta, whether raw or when I oven roast the seeded tomatoes and toss with evoo and s&p.

My least favorite herb is cilantro, for reasons I have talked about before....parsley substitutes fine for me.  Another herb I'm not crazy about is rosemary, although I do have one recipe for a beef flank steak marinate that uses dried rosemary and we like that a lot.  I think fresh rosemary is too "pine-y" - reminds me of chewing on a pine needle.  It also reminds me of the taste of gin, another taste I'm not a fan of.