Oregano

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…

My favorite herb to put in noodles is leaf celery or kinchay. It is a Chinese herb and it is a symbol of good fortune during the Chinese New Year. It adds a wonderful flavor to stirfry and all kinds of noodle recipes. I use it together with green onions. Their flavors combined makes food…

Fennel is a perennial herb which belongs to the umbelliferae family which includes dill, celery, cilantro and parsley. Umbelliferae refers to how the flowers are formed. Used in ancient times as a treatment for arthritis and nausea, and as a sedative. It is also one of the three main herbs in making the alcoholic drink…

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…

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….

Laurel or Bay Leaf is an important spice I use in my recipes. I have to buy a small seedling from a nursery for this one because obviously it won’t have seeds and I know it would take a long time for me to even try to grow it from cuttings. I just have to…