It has been colonized by or received immigrants from, almost every culture in the world, leading to incredibly rich culinary traditions.
Culinary herbs have appealing aromatic or savory characteristics and make food tasty and flavorful. In times past, herbs were mainstays in the kitchen because they easily could be grown by rich or poor, they vastly improved the flavor of wild game and earthy vegetables and some could even preserve certain food.
It may be said that sweet or culinary herbs are those annual, biennial or perennial plants whose green parts, tender roots or ripe seeds have an aromatic flavor and fragrance, due either to a volatile oil or to other chemically named substances peculiar to the individual species.
Because fresh herbs are inspiring, they will continue to sprout up in a variety of recipes and cooking styles. And because cooking is an ongoing, creative process, fresh herbs will continue to be enjoyed by a growing and eager audience.
Since many of them have pleasing odors they have been called sweet, and since they have been long used in cookery to add their characteristic flavors to soups, stews, dressings, sauces and salads, they are popularly called culinary.
This last designation is less happy than the former, since many other herbs, such as cabbage, spinach, kale, dandelion and collards are also culinary herbs. These vegetables are, however, probably more widely known as potherbs or greens.
To serve four people with a sauce, soup, stew or sauté, use about 2 teaspoons of minced fresh herbs. To reach the fullest aroma, rub the leaves between two hands, then minced them using a sharp knife or by snipping them with kitchen shears.’
Many herbs affect physiological processes, which is the basis for their medicinal properties.
What are culinary herbs?
