Thyme

There are several varieties of this mint-family member, a perennial herb native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Garden thyme, the most often used variety, is a bush with grey-green leaves giving off a pungent minty, light-lemon aroma. Sub-varieties include the narrow-leafed French thyme and broad-leafed English thyme. The most common sub-variety of wild thyme – a thick ground cover – is lemon thyme, a herb with a more pronounced lemon aroma than garden thyme. Whatever the type, thyme is widely used in cooking to add flavour to vegetables, meat,poultry and fish dishes, soups and cream sauces. It’s a basic herb of French cuisine and an integral herb to bouquet garni. It is a rich source of Vitamin A and calcium and a good source of magnesium but like most herbs it isn’t eaten in large quantities, so it doesn’t make a significant contribution to nutrient intake.