Oregano Spanish.

Here is oregano's force without the pizza aroma: a bright, herbal oil that carries the Mediterranean in it. Known as Spanish or Greek oregano, Thymus capitatus grows abundantly throughout the Mediterranean and Turkey, and above all on the Isle of Crete.

A member of the Lamiaceae family, it is highest in monoterpenes, with carvacrol as its key component alongside gamma-terpinene, para-cymene and beta-caryophyllene. It is widely known in Europe and far less familiar in the United States; once we had smelled it, we had to share it. It is potent around the house, too: a few drops in warm soapy water for kitchen sinks and countertops, or in the bucket when you mop the kitchen floor.

Details

• Botanical name: Thymus capitatus L.
• Plant part: leaves and flowers, organically produced
• Method: steam distillation
• Origin: Egypt
• Shelf life: about 3 to 4 years after opening

How to use

Breathe it through a nebulizer, diffuser or personal inhaler. Like all oregano oils it is a very strong skin and mucous membrane irritant, so on skin keep to a very mild dilution, under 1.1%. It inhibits blood clotting, and it should not be used during pregnancy or on children under two. Keep it out of reach of children, and store it in the dark, decanting a half-empty bottle into a smaller, full one.

A sunlit herb with a long reach, for the house and the hearth.