AROMATIC THYME

This pretty and aromatic herb attracts everybody’s attention by its wonderful properties and a great culinary value. The history of this plant is very rich as it has been widely used for various purposes since ancient times.

Thyme, or Thymus vulgaris, is a perennial, evergreen, flowering plant that belongs to the Lamiaceae family. There exist about 350 species of this plant. In fact, thyme is native to the southern Europe. It’s usually a low-growing shrub (about 15-30 cm tall) with a narrow, green or grey hairy stem. The leaves are little, oppositely arranged and have an oval shape. The flowers can be purple, white, pink or yellow. They are gathered in clusters at the end of the sprigs. Both the leaves and flowers are aromatic and widely used in cooking. In fact, they make an indispensable part of the Mediterranean cuisine.

Parts Used: leaves, flowers.

Interesting Facts

• Ancient Egyptians utilized thyme for embalming bodies.
• Ancient Greeks added this plant to their baths and also used it as incense in their temples.
• The Romans added thyme to cheese and alcohol as a flavoring. 
• Since ancient times thyme has been a symbol of courage and strength.
• The existed a tradition to put sprigs of thyme into coffins to ensure easy passage to another world.
• In the Middle Ages people put thyme sprigs under their pillows as it was believed to be a protection against nightmares.
• The essential oil of thyme includes a substance called thymol.

Major Components

• Vitamins A, C
• Copper
• Iron
• Manganese
• Fiber
• Folic acid
• Beta-carotene

Methods of Use

Dried leaves and flowers can be added to food as a spice. Moreover, the plant can be used in the form of tea, cosmetics, essential oils, infusions, tinctures,extracts.

The tea made from the thyme leaves and flowers is delicious and fragrant! It preserves all thyme’s useful properties. So try our simple recipe for aromatic thyme tea and stay healthy!

Aromatic Thyme Tea Recipe

What you need:

• 3 sprigs of thyme
• One and a half cup of water
• Any optional ingredients (lemon, cinnamon, ginger or honey)

Bring water to a boil. Steep the thyme sprigs in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Strain the mixture. Add any additional ingredients that you like. Enjoy this aromatic and health-giving drink!