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Herbs and Spices
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Thyme
Thyme is a popular herb for flavouring in Caribbean
Food, as well as many other foods. Dried
Thyme in particular is extremely versatile and is a staple of
European, especially French, cooking. It is recognizable
by its tiny leaves and semi-sweet, aromatic flavor. Thyme is an excellent
additiion to stews, curries, soup stocks, roasted meat and poultry,
seafood, tomato-based sauces, stuffings and roasted meat. It stands
up well to the rich flavor of lamb and many spicy Caribbean, Creole
or Cajun dishes such as blackened fish and steak, gumbos and
jambalayas.
- Excerpts regarding herbal remedies
- THYME (Thymus vulgaris) Thyme is a standard
herb in kitchens today, but it also has been found in apothecaries for
centuries. Thymol, the active ingredient in the essential oil, has
antiseptic and expectorant properties.
"Thymol has been found to loosen phlegm in the
respiratory tract," says Dr. farnsworth, also a contributing
editor to Magic and Medicine of Plants (Reader's Digest
Association, 1986). "It also has been shown to act as an
antitussive which will relieve coughing."
Spraying tea made from thyme leaves into your throat
maximizes its expectorant effects. To take advantage of thyme's
antiseptic qualities for inflamed areas and sores, apply a paste made
from mashing the leaves to the affected area.
Thyme is a perennial herb that grows to 15 inches
tall. It can be propagated easily from cuttings or by division.
"Thymes need fairly dry conditions and an alkaline soil,"
Hilderbrand syas. "They like full sun. Thyme grown in moist
conditions are especially susceptible to fungus."
There are approximately 100 species of this herb,
including - orange thyme, lemon thyme, caraway-scented
thyme. However one variety, the unassuming common thyme,
is the real kitchen herb, and one of the most versatile.
- Source: Spice Islands Cooking School. 1990 "A
Study in Spice. The Ultimate Spice Guide."
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