As I was surfing around to my favorite blog posts, I found this on Cuban Oregano at Weed Whackin' Wenches...I thought it was so great I asked if I could steal, err, copy, err, share it on my website...if you haven't checked out their blog, please do yourself a favor and go see what they are up to...find me at the end of this post for suggested uses for this unusual herb.
Cuban Oregano by Weed Whackin' Wenches
If you were to ask me what my favorite day of the week is, I would reply without hesitation
THURSDAYS. Thursdays make me smile and dance with glee. I spend the day
full of A-N-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N because Thursday is the day when new
plants find their way to our garden as Wing Nut often does a little
shopping before heading home at the end of her work week
This week was special because Cuban Oregano came to live with us. It
has always been a treasure hunt when we settle in a new place to find
him. The nice, but often clueless, nursery people always try to sell me
on Greek, Italian or, GASP, Puerto Rican varieties. Here in the PNW
I've been looking to cross paths with Cuban Oregano for 4 years now.
When in NE, it took me 2 years to find him. So far, with enough
patience and persistence--and some educating of the nursery staff--I
have always been able to find him.
If you ask any Cubans they will swear that this is the verdadero or real oregano. The first irony is that it is not a true oregano. This is plectranthus amboinicus, a member of the mint family and a relative of the garden coleus. The second irony is that it is not native to Cuba but rather to southeast Asia. Some sources say Africa but I've found numerous references to this plant in Vietnamese herb/cooking books.
In Cuba it is called "orégano de la tierra" or "orégano francés," the latter pointing to Haiti as a point of introduction. It most likely was introduced in Haiti during the French colonial period. Adding to the difficulty of tracking down this plant are its numerous other names--Spanish thyme, French thyme, Mexican mint, Indian mint, soup mint, Indian borage, country borage, and oreille (French for ear). Cuban oregano is hardy only to zone 10 so I have always grown it as an annual. It continues to look its best in the hottest part of summer even when kept in full sun. I've read that it can grow to 2' though I've never had one that grew that much. Plucking leaves and stems for culinary use helps the plant maintain a nice compact bushy shape.
Thanks, Weed Whackin' Wenches...great growing info...if you are lucky enough to have Cuban Oregano, but don't know how to use it, consider the following:
Use it in stuffings or in other dishes as a substitute for sage
Use it to flavor meats (lamb, beef, duck, chicken), try in a marinade combined with olive oil, lime (or red wine vinegar), garlic, salt and pepper. Don't let it sit too long as the flavor may become too strong.
Use it in conjunction with other herbs that can stand up to its taste...try rosemary, bay, marjoram, and thyme.
Whatever you do, make sure you try it, and make sure you use sparingly...it is a strong herb with a big personality.
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