oil profiles

featured oil

oregano

Fresh oregano largely varies in intensity: a good quality is so strong that it almost numbs the tongue, but the cultivars adapted to colder climates often have an unsatisfactory flavor. Keeping this in mind when looking for oregano essential oil will help you if you look for oils manufactured from the plant species Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum in the Mediterranean region; oregano essential oils from Turkey are the best I have found to date.

Read more about oregano

In this section you will find profiles of essential oils extracted from plants commonly used in cooking.

For each plant, we describe some general characteristics of the plant such as the part of the plant used in cooking, a brief description of the flavors from the plant, and some typical uses in cooking.

The essential oils extracted from that plant are listed by cultivation type (organic, nonorganic, and wildcrafted), further broken down into the method of extraction (steam distilled, expressed, absolute, etc.), and where the oil was manufactured (France, Indonesia, Jamaica, etc.).

We then describe how each particular essential oil compares to the fresh plant, and give some general recommendations for using the essential oil in cooking.

This section is continually expanding as we find new manufacturers of oils, add characteristics and recommendations for essential oils not typically associated with cooking. Your input is welcome and appreciated, so let us know if you'd like to find out more about a particular oil.