Thyme

Thyme (

Thyme is indigenous to the

The name of the genus of fish Thymallus, first given to the grayling (T. thymallus, described in the 1758 edition of Systema Naturae by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus), originates from the faint smell of thyme that emanates from the flesh.^[6]

Cultivation

Thyme is best cultivated in a hot, sunny location with well-drained soil. It is generally planted in the spring, and thereafter grows as a perennial. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings, or dividing rooted sections of the plant. It tolerates drought well.^[7] The plant can take deep freezes and is found growing wild on mountain highlands. It grows well on dry slopes. It can be pruned after flowering to keep from getting woody.^[8]

Aroma components

Culinary use

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In some Levantine countries, the condiment za'atar (Arabic for both thyme and marjoram) contains many of the essential oils found in thyme.^[10] Thyme is a common component of the bouquet garni, and of herbes de Provence.^[11]

Thyme is sold both fresh and dried. While summer-seasonal, fresh greenhouse thyme is often available year-round. The fresh form is more flavourful but also less convenient; storage life is rarely more than a week. However, the fresh form can last many months if carefully frozen.^[12]

Fresh thyme is commonly sold in bunches of sprigs. A sprig is a single stem snipped from the plant.

Depending on how it is used in a dish, the whole sprig may be used (e.g., in a bouquet garni), or the leaves removed and the stems discarded. Usually, when a recipe mentions a bunch or sprig, it means the whole form; when it mentions spoons, it means the leaves. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute dried for whole thyme.

Leaves may be removed from stems either by scraping with the back of a knife, or by pulling through the fingers or tines of a fork.

Thyme retains its flavour on drying better than many other herbs.^[14]

In Moroccan tradition, dried figs^[15] are elevated with the infusion of minty leaves. After softening in a couscous pot, the figs are rested with additional minty leaves before being sprinkled with thyme for a delightful flavor enhancement and preservation in sealed containers.

Antimicrobial properties

Oil of thyme, the

• Thymus citriodorus – various lemon thymes, orange thymes, lime thyme^{[citation needed]}
• Thymus herba-barona (caraway thyme) is used both as a culinary herb and a ground cover, and has a very strong caraway scent due to the chemical carvone.^[19][20]
• Thymus praecox (mother of thyme, wild thyme), is cultivated as an ornamental.
• Thymus pseudolanuginosus (woolly thyme) is not a culinary herb, but is grown as a ground cover.
• Berkshire and Catskill Mountains of the northeastern US. The lowest growing of the widely used thyme is good for walkways. It is also an important caterpillar food plant for large and common blue butterflies.^[21]
• Mediterranean
  perennial which is best suited to well-drained soils and full sun.

References

1. Science Direct
   .
2. ^ "A Brief History of Thyme - Hungry History". HISTORY.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-13. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
3. ^ ^{a b} Grieve, Mrs. Maud. "Thyme. A Modern Herbal". botanical.com (Hypertext version of the 1931 ed.). Archived from the original on February 23, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2008.
4. ^ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
5. ^ "Thyme (thymus)". englishplants.co.uk. The English Cottage Garden Nursery. Archived from the original on 2006-09-27.
6. ^ Ingram, A.; Ibbotson, A.; Gallagher, M. "The Ecology and Management of the European Grayling Thymallus thymallus (Linnaeus)" (PDF). East Stoke, Wareham, U.K.: Institute of Freshwater Ecology. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
7. ^ "Herb File. Global Garden". global-garden.com.au. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12.
8. ^ Peter, K.V. (2012). Handbook of herbs and spices Volume 2.
9. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.05.056
   .
10. ^ "Explaining Zaatar!". Dima Al Sharif. 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
11. ^ Walker, Paul (2 September 2021). "What Is a Bouquet Garni? Easy Homemade Bouquet Garni Recipe, Plus Tips for Cooking With Bouquet Garni - 2022 - MasterClass". Masterclass. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
12. ^ "Food Storage - How Long Can You Keep Thyme". Archived from the original on 2015-08-09. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
13. ^ "Thyme". Almanac.com. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
14. ^ "7 Herbs That Taste Good When Dried". The Spruce. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
15. ISBN 979-8860829343.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link
    )
16. ^ Thymus Vulgaris. PDR for Herbal Medicine. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company. p. 1184.
17. PMID 25870697
    .
18. ^ Pierce, Andrea. 1999. American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York: Stonesong Press. P. 338–340.
19. ISSN 0305-1978
    .
20. ^ "Thymus herba-barona - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
21. ^ "Caterpillar food plants.pub" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-09-29. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
22. ^ "French Thyme, Thymus vulgaris". Sand Mountain Herbs. Archived from the original on 2014-05-27. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
23. ^ "English thyme". Sara's Superb Herbs. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thyme (Thymus).

• S. S. Tawfik, M. I. Abbady, Ahmed M. Zahran and A. M. K. Abouelalla. Therapeutic Efficacy Attained with Thyme Essential Oil Supplementation Throughout γ-irradiated Rats. Egypt. J. Rad. Sci. Applic., 19(1): 1-22 (2006).
• Flora of China: Thymus
• Flora Europaea: Thymus
• Rohde, E. S. (1920). A Garden of Herbs.
• Easter, M. (2009). International Thymus Register and Checklist.