On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 772

flavor, more often used in candies than in
cooking.

Mint family anatomy. A leaf of oregano,
showingthemicroscopicoilglandsthatcover
the surfaces of herbs in the mint family. The
fragile, exposed glands filled with pungent
essential oil offer a first line of defense
againstpredators.
Hyssop Hyssop is an ambiguous name. It is
sometimes applied to a kind of plant
mentioned in the Bible and much used in the
MiddleEast,aclusterofspeciescharacterized
bythepenetratingqualityoftrueoregano(see
below). Hyssop proper,Hyssopus officinalis,
is a milder-mannered European herb with
fresh-spicyandcamphornotes.Itwasenjoyed
in ancient Rome but is now more commonly


usedinThaiandVietnamesecooking.Hyssop
contributes to the flavors of several alcohols,
includingPernod,Ricard,andChartreuse.
Lavender Lavender is a Mediterranean plant
long and widely valued for its tenacious
floral-woodyperfume(fromamixofflowery
linalyl acetate and linalool, plus eucalyptuslike cineole), but more familiar in soaps and
candles than in foods; its name comes from
theLatinfor“wash.”Still,thedriedblossoms
o fLavandula dentata are a traditional
ingredient in the mixtureherbes de provence

(alongwithbasil,rosemary,marjoram,thyme,
andfennel).TheyandtheblossomsofEnglish
lavender,L.angustifolia,arealsousefulalone
whenuseddiscreetlyasagarnishortoinfuse
their qualities in sauces and sweets. Spanish
lavender (L. stoechas) has a complex scent
reminiscentofIndianchutneys.
Lemon Balm Lemon or bee balm is an Old
World
species, Melissa
officinalis,