“Oregano”

From some cookbooks you would gather that Mexicans use oregano as liberally as Greeks and Italians. But the different herbs that go by that name in Mexico are quite unrelated to the Origanum species used around the Mediterranean and in the United States. The taste is similar enough to make the confusion understandable, but not wholly interchangeable with European oregano. I don’t know whether anyone has sorted out all the confusion, but some years ago the cookbook author Diana Kennedy obtained from the National University of Mexico Botanical Garden a list of at least thirteen species called orégano. I have no idea where the varieties I cook with fit into the puzzle. I use two especially. One is simply called Mexican oregano in the United States. It is more full-flavored than European oregano. In the North it grows wild in cattle pastures, so the beef has a wonderful herbed flavor. Mexican oregano can sometimes be found here in herb and spice stores, and is distributed nationally to many supermarkets by McCormick. I also use an herb I’ve always known as Oaxacan oregano, which is lemony in flavor and tastes totally unlike the other variety. I have not found it for sale in this country, but you may be able to ask a friend to bring back a dried bunch for you from Oaxaca. Otherwise, substitute Greek oregano. Dried whole sprigs keep the flavor longer than broken-leaf oregano, but are unfortunately harder to find. To bring out the flavor, crumble the oregano between your fingers when adding it to any recipe.