Mexican oregano
멕시칸 오레가노
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Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada · CC BY 2.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)
It's called oregano, but it's a completely different plant from the oregano sprinkled on pizza. It's a relative of lemon verbena, so its oregano aroma comes mixed with a lime-like freshness.
Flavor and aroma
- It has an oregano aroma with lime- and lemon-like freshness and a slight peppery sharpness.
- It's stronger than Mediterranean oregano and has a menthol note too.
Fun facts
- Mediterranean oregano is in the mint family, while Mexican oregano is in the verbena family: completely different families.
- Even so, both contain carvacrol and thymol, so they smell similar.
- In Mexico, if you buy "oregano" without any other label, it's this Mexican oregano.
In the kitchen
Cooking
- Add it to long-cooked dishes such as salsa, mole, pozole (hominy soup), bean dishes, soups and stews.
Meat
- Add it to chorizo (Mexican sausage), adobo seasoning and meat marinades.
Seafood
- Use it in shrimp dishes with lemon and pepper.
Goes well with
ChiliCuminGarlicLimeTomatoPorkBeans
Tips
- Dried is more aromatic, so it's usually used dried. Use less when substituting for Mediterranean oregano. If you don't have it, marjoram with a little coriander seed can stand in.
Season
We're still checking the season. We'll add it once we find a source.
Details
- Korean name
- 멕시칸 오레가노
- English names
- Mexican oregano
- Scientific name
- Lippia origanoides
- Former scientific names
- Lippia graveolens
- Family
- Verbenaceae
Same family as lemon verbena and koseret - Genus
- Lippia
Show sources for this page
References for this herb
- America's Test Kitchen
- MasterClass
- Eat Your Books
- Mexico News Daily
- World Spice
Name and classification
Photo
Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada · CC BY 2.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)