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Description: An annual plant with white or pink flowers and large, oval leaves with light green backs (or purple in the case of certain varieties). Has a strong odour reminiscent of clove; its upper, younger leaves having a milder aroma. Culinary use: Fresh leaves may be used in salads, soups, one-course meals, vegetable stews, fish and meat dishes, as well as to flavour tomatoes and pesto. Chop up fresh leaves and add them to dishes immediately before serving. Perfect for decorating dishes. Medicinal use: Acts as an appetizer and helps digestion; also has a mild laxative effect and dispels gas. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in a warm, sunny and sheltered spot of your garden, in fertile soil rich in nutrients. Needs regular watering in the heat of summer. At a temperature below 10 °C, stops growing, and even a mild frost can damage the plant. Use the youngest leaves and stems until blooming begins. Dried leaves tend to lose most of their aroma very quickly. To avoid this, preserve the plant in oil or vinegar.
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Name: Basil (Ocimum basilicum)|
Description: A very versatile species as regards its growth and the colour, shape and size of its pods. In Hungary, planted in a garden it may grow up to 50-80 cm in height. Pods are 2-15 cm long, round, conical or pointed, and white, yellow, green, orange or red. Has little aroma but its pungency varies from mild to hot due to its capsaicin content. Culinary use: Pods may be used fresh, unripe green, ripe red, yellow or white, dried, crushed, ground or in whole. Chili goes well with all kinds of foods, be it cold or hot, but mainly with salads, sauces and pizzas. Medicinal use: Chili stimulates blood circulation, improves digestion and has an antibacterial effect. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in fertile soil rich in nutrients. Continued harvesting of mature pods encourages formation of new flowers and pods. |
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ame: Chili (Capsicum frutescens)|
Description: A 15-30 cm high, perennial plant taking up about a 15 cm wide area; its root is a white, narrow bulb; its stem is greyish green and of tubular shape; leaves are thin and tubular; flowers are ball-shaped, purplish red. Has a high vitamin C and iron content. Culinary use: Minced leaves may be used in soups and sauces, fish and egg dishes, meat stuffing, vegetable dishes, salads and salad dressings, cooked and baked potatoes. As it has a mild onion flavour, it can be used instead of onion. Cooking destroys its flavour, so it should be added to foods immediately before serving. Medicinal use: Stimulates appetite; has a beneficial effect on blood circulation. Cultivating and harvesting: Can be planted in sunny to semi-shady spots. Regular watering and removing buds will enhance growth of the leaves. Can be easily preserved by both drying and freezing. Always cut leaves instead of tearing them, as it may damage the plant. |
Name: Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)|
Description: Annual plant growing to 60 cm in height and 20 cm in diameter. Its root is light brown and carrot-like. The stem is very branchy, thin and soft. It has small, strong flowers ranging in colour from white to pale violet. Leaves have three parts; seeds are round and light brown. The entire plant has a strong aroma. Culinary use: Fresh green coriander has been very popular in the Far East, Mexico and - more recently - in Europe, most commonly used in salads, vegetable soups and sauces. Seeds are used to season game, sausages and bakery products. Medicinal use: Has a stimulating effect, helps with digestion, and is an antispasmodic and tranquillizer. Seeds may be chewed or used for making stew. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in a sunny spot of the gargen, in humus-rich soil with good drainage. Always use young, tender leaves. Seeds can be harvested from early August. |
Name: Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)|
Description: An annual but frost-sensitive plant with narrow, silvery grey leaves resembling needles. It has yellow flowers and its gorgeous appearance makes it valuable as an ornamental plant for rock gardens. Culinary use: Use its sprout tops and leaves to season sauces, fish, meat and rice. Medicinal use: Used as an antidepressant. Freshens air, reduces pain caused by respiratory illnesses. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in sandy, calciferous, dry soil to ensure optimum growth. |
Name: Curry plant (Helichrysum italicum)|
Description: A small annual plant with light green leaves and ball-shaped foliage. It has small, thin leaves and tiny, white flowers. Culinary use: Due to its sweetish taste, used mainly in pastries and cakes, but may also be used in all other dishes seasoned with basil. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in sandy, calciferous, dry soil in a warm and sunny corner of the garden. Reacts to low temperatiure the same way as basil. As it has very tiny leaves, use whole sprouts for seasoning dishes in whole or chopped up. The leaves quickly lose their aroma when dried. |
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ame: Greek basil (Ocinum minimum)|
Description: Perennial plant growing up to 60 cm high. Its stem is green and square that becomes woody in the second year. Leaves are greyish green, narrow and fragrant. The tiny tubular light blue or purple, rarely white or pink flowers are carried on 20 cm long spikes in thick clusters and have a strong and spicy flavour. Culinary use: Leaves and flowers may be used both fresh and dried. Flowers and leaves are used chiefly in the Southern French cuisine for seasoning vegetable stews and meats and, as an ingredient of the Provence spice mix, in grilled meat and poultry dishes. Medicinal use: Relieves headaches and soothes the nerves. Has a sleep-inducing and carminative effect. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in a sunny spot of the garden in sandy, calciferous, dry soil. Its dried flowers have traditionally been reputed to have moth-repellent properties. Has become very popular in dried flower arrangements and putpourri.
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Name: Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)|
Description: A perennial but frost-sensitive plant; its height can reach 1 m, old stalks can grow to 60 cm in diameter. Its stalk is rectangular and slightly hairy. It has light green, heart-shaped leaves and small, white flowers that grow in spikes. The leaves have a delightful lemony scent and flavour. Culinary use: Fresh leaves and young shoots go well with lettuce, tomato, cottage cheese, mushroom, meat, fish, seasoned sauces, fruit salads and refreshers. Make sure to use fresh leaves, as dried leaves tend to lose most of their aroma. Be careful no to cook it. Only wash it immediately before using, as the leaves may shrivel and turn brown very quickly. Medicinal use: Has a tranquilizing effect and fortifies the nerves. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in fertile soil rich in nutrients. Water regularly to ensure vigorous growth. |
Name: Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)|
Description: Perennial plant growing up to 2 m high. its aromatic leaves are threefold, dark green, shiny and fragrant. Culinary use: The entire plant may be used both fresh and dried in soups and one-course meals. Cook stem and flowers together with food; young fresh leaves, should however be only added to the food minced before serving. Vegetable stew may be made from its peeled roots; its seeds lend a unique flavour in whole or ground to pastries, salads, rice and mashed potatoes. Medicinal use: Tea made from the plant is diuretic and helps with ailments of the stomach and digesting problems. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in a sunny or semi-shady spot in fertile soil rich in nutrients. Can be easily preserved by freezing, as it will not lose its aroma either during drying or freezing. |
Name: Lovage (Levisticum officinale)|
Description: The annual variety of the plant grows up to 40 cm tall and is often used in Hungarian cuisine. The perennial variety grown in Hungary is a low-spreading plant with a 30 cm diameter. Its stem is thin; leaves are small, oval, dark green; flowers are small, pale pink; has a spicy, slightly bitter aroma. Culinary use: Young leaves and shoots may be used both fresh and dried in poultry stuffing, pork and poultry dishes, pâtés, liver dished, as well as for preparing vegetable stews and sauces. Medicinal use: Tea prepared from the flowers is good for colds and headaches. Also an appetizer that helps digestion. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in fertile soil rich in nutrients. |
Name: Marjoram (Majorana hortensis)|
Description: 20-40 cm high; its stem is four-edged, green, branching at the top. Leaves are elongated with rough edges, slightly hairy. Has red-white flowers. Contains essential oils, primarily menthol. Culinary use: Leaves and yound shoots may be used both fresh and dried in fruit soups, fine desserts, fruit salads, drinks and cocktails. Medicinal use: Has a refreshing, stimulating and invigorating, as well as stomach-settling effect. Cultivating and harvesting: Can be planted in both sunny and shady spots. Spreads rapidly by underground stems. It is best to harvest mint leaves just before flowers appear, as the essential oil content of the plant is highest at this time. Dried leaves will retain their aroma for a considerable period in tightly sealed containers. |
Name: Mint (Mentha viridis)|
Description: A 50 cm high perennial plant growing a foliage 30 cm in diameter. Its stem is woody and hairy; leaves are egg-shaped and hairy like felt; flowers are violet blue; its aroma is spicy and slightly bitter. Culinary use: Leaves and shoot tips may be used both fresh and dried. Oregano is an essential ingredient in pizza sauces, and is also excellent in egg, tomato and cheese dishes, pork and beef, stuffings and salads. Medicinal use: Stimulates appetite, relieves spasms or cramps and fortifies the nerves. Cultivating and harvesting: Oregano can be grown easily as it tolerates exposed sunny areas as well. It is best to harvest leaves when the flowers appear. Store its dried and crushed leaves in non-transparent containers. |
Name: Oregano (Origanum vulgare)|
Description: Biennial plant; its stem is square, branchy; leaves are divided, shiny, heavily frilled; flowers are yellowish white standing in multi-branched umbels; leaves and the stem is aromatic. Culinary use: Minced leaves and stems may be used in soups and sauces, fish and egg dishes, stuffing of meats, vegetable dishes, salads and salad dressings, cooked and baked potatoes. Its nice, frilled leaves are excellent for decoration. Should not be cook, only be added to a dish just before serving. Medicinal use: Contains provitamin A, vitamins C and E, iron and calcium. Stimulates appetite and helps digestion. Also has a diuretic and blood purifying effect. Cultivating and harvesting: Best to plant it in a sunny area, but also tolerates semi-shady spots. Prefers a moderately loose soil rich in nutrients. Can be preserved by either freezing or drying. |
Name: Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)|
Description: Biennial but frost-sensitive plant. Small (20-25 cm), cruciferous plant that spreads by means of thick underground stems. It has small and yellowish white flowers; has a prominent fragrance reminiscent of walnut. Its dark green, heavily divided leaves are developed mainly during the warm seasons. Culinary use: Young leaves and shoots may be used for seasoning soups, pasta and hot sandwiches. A tasty salad-base by itself or mixed with other types of lettuce. Medicinal use: Rocket simulates appetite and has a toning and blood purifying effect. Cultivating and harvesting: Prefers sunny areas and sandy, calciferous soil. Rocket easily grows from seeds even in the wild. |
Name: Rocket (Eruca sativa)|
Description: This perennial plant can grow very large. The variety growing in Hungary does not tolerate winter cold. Its stem is woody and branchy. It has needle-shaped, leathery, strongly aromatic leaves. Its purplish or pinkish flowers appear from March to September. Culinary use: Leaves may be used both fresh and dried; shoots and flowers should be used fresh. Its aroma harmonises excellently with many kinds of meat, mainly lamb and game; also very good in baked potatoes, vegetable and mushroom dishes. Medicinal use: Rosemary stimulates appetite, operation of the nervous system and blood circulation. Cultivating and harvesting: Prefers sunny areas and moderately moist, calciferous and sandy soil. As rosemary is a perennial plant that does not tolerate winder cold, overwinter the plant indoors planted in pots, in a light but not very warm spot of the house. In winter the plant needs little watering. It is best to collect leaves and young shoots when the flowers appear and preserve them by drying or freezing. The plant will also retain its aroma in oil or vinegar. |
Name: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)|
Description: A perennial evergreen shrub; grows to 80 cm high, spreads to about 70 cm wide; its stem is woody, branchy and hairy; leaves are elongated or oval, greyish green, hairy like felt; its flowers range in colour from violet blue to light blue, and can be found at the ends of the shoots in bunches. Has a strong, spicy, slightly bitter aroma. Culinary use: Leaves may be used fresh, dried or ground. Primarily suited for seasoning and curing greasy meat dishes, as well as preparing meatballs and fish dishes. Leaves have a rather pungent aroma, so handle with care. Medicinal use: Sage leaf has a tranquillizing effect; heals mucous membrane, arrests bleeding, disinfects, lowers blood pressure. Sage tea is good for coughing and hoarseness. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in sandy, calciferous, dry soil. Tie the stems into small bunches and hang them upside down to dry in a warm and shady place. |
Name: Sage (Salvia officinalis)|
Description: A perennial plant that grows up to 30-40 cm in height. The upperside of its hard, narrow and serrated leaves is dark-green, while the underside is silvery. Savory has a clean, piney fragrance and peppery, pungent flavor. It has small white, pink or purple flowers. Blooms from July to October. Culinary use: Use its fresh or dried leaves to flavour bean and other legume dishes (reduces the intestinal gas or bloating they may produce), as well as for seasoning potato and other one-course dishes, meals, game, sausages and sauces. Due to its strong taste, use it only in small quantity. Blooming is the best time to pick leaves. Dry the stems tied in bunches and preserve the leaves ground to a fine powder. Medicinal use: Savory is an appetizer; it helps with stomach and intestinal ailments, and has an antibacterial effect. Cultivating and harvesting: Growth is most vigorous in sandy, calciferous and dry soil. Due to its biological properties, protects bush bean planted close to it from aphids. Since the leaves are generally small, use the entire shoot either in whole or chopped up. |
Name: Savory (Satureja montana)|
Description: A perennial shrub growing to 1 m high and 40 cm in diameter. Has narrow, dark green leaves with three-pronged tips. Has insignificant, greenish flowers that only bloom in warm regions. Has a rather pungent, specific aroma. Culinary use: Fresh leaves or shoot tips lend a characteristic, delicious flavour to sauces (e.g. Bern sauce or tartar sauce). Excellent in egg, fish, mushroom and poultry dishes; a component of mustard and spiced vinegar. Medicinal use: Stimulates appetite, helps digestion and has a diuretic effect. Cultivating and harvesting: Plant in a sunny spot in fertile soil rich in nutrients. It is best to harvest leaves and shoots in the middle of summer in warm conditions. Can be preseved by drying. |
Name: Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)|
Description: Much like basil but with leaves that are smaller, vivid green, somewhat cogged; the entire plant smells like anise. Culinary use: Used mainly in what may be called the classic sweet and sour sauce, but also in other Far East dishes, salads, sauces and pasta dishes. Cultivating and harvesting: To ensure vigorous growth, plant in sandy, calciferous, dry soil. Indoors, put in a warm and as bright a place as possible, and water moderately. Since the leaves of these plants are generally small, use the entire shoot either in whole or minced. Use its fresh crushed leaves as the plant can quickly lose its aroma by drying. |
Name: Thai basil (Ocimum basilicum)|
Description: Perennial semi-shrub growing in the wild, reaching 20-40 cm in height. Its stem is branching and woody. Leaves are small, greyish green, with downward curling sides. Flowers are small ranging in colour from white to pinkish violet. Culinary use: Leaves may be used fresh or dried in small quantity to season sausages, pies, meat, potato and vegatable dishes, soups, souces, cheese and pizza. A basic herb of French cuisine, an essential ingredient in many popular herb mixtures. Can be cooked into dishes. Medicinal use: Tea made from thyme stimulates digestion, mixed with honey reduces coughing and soothes sore throats. Cultivating and harvesting: To ensure vigorous growth, plant in sandy, calciferous and dry soil. The best time to harvest thyme is when it is in bloom, that is when the oil is concentrated in the leaves. Can easily be preserved in vinegar. Dry whole branches tied into bundles in a shady place. |
Name: Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)