Oregano

Oregano is a small, leafy green herb with oval, slightly fuzzy leaves on slender stems. Its flavor is pungent, earthy, and minty with a warm resinous aroma when the leaves are crushed. It holds up to heat in cooking, shining in tomato sauces, grilled meats, roasted vegetables, and pizza, and is sold as fresh sprigs or bunches and as dried flakes.\n\nNative to the Mediterranean and Western Asia, oregano became a staple of Greek, Italian, and Turkish cooking and spread worldwide with the popularity of pizza and pasta. It is cultivated in many regions and in greenhouses; sprigs are often air-dried and crumbled into flakes for packing and distribution.