Italian Oregano

Knowing herbs as an important part of our culinary world, I tried to study them and experimented on how to grow and how to use them in my cooking. Over the years, I was able to develop a liking to certain types of herbs and so I learned also how to preserve them by drying…

Pandan leaves is widely used in the Philippines as a food flavoring especially with rice cakes. I would consider it as a tropical herb just like lemongrass. The plant has long, green bladelike leaves just like the amaryllis, hence the botanical name pandanus amaryllifolius, with aerial roots and grows up to at least 3 ft….

Kinchay is an herb like celery but it is mainly the leaves that are being utilized. It is equivalent to lovage. I use it in stir-fries, chop suey, fried rice and noodles especially pancit bihon. Kinchay would also go together with green onions as a garnish for rice soup we call arroz caldo. The Kinchay…

Basil- Ocimum Basilicum Basil plant is an herb and comes in different varieties.  It belongs to the family of mint (Lamiaceae). As you can see in the picture, I have tried planting most of the types of basil but my most favorite is the sweet basil which I always use in cooking especially in making…

Oregano is an herb that is mostly used in Italian cooking like pizza and pasta. I grow up using dried oregano for meat dishes along with other spices like bay leaf and safflower. I have never seen fresh oregano then. When I started gardening, I tried to look for all culinary herbs I can find….

Lemongrass is a perennial plant with grass like leaves. I like to grow them for my sometimes urge to cook Thai cuisine like Thai chicken curry, red or green. I also use lemongrass for tea by boiling the leaves instead of throwing it away after taking the bulbous part which is the main part that…