Mexican Oregano

Lippia graveolens · Herb

40 pairings

Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) is the citrusy, boldly aromatic herb that anchors the cooking of Mexico and the American Southwest — the "oregano" of salsas, chilis, moles and pozole. Despite the shared name and a comparable carvacrol punch, it is not true oregano at all but a shrub of the verbena family, and beneath its familiar warm, phenolic bite runs a bright citrus-and-anise lift that Mediterranean oregano lacks.

Picking a good onedrag

Just opened, grey-green and loudFaded to dust, musty, no scent left

Well-kept jarWorking strength for all the herb is for: salsa, chili, pozole, birria, adobo, beans, mole. A culinary pinch is the safe amount; oregano essential oil is a far stronger article.Everyday best

The leafDuller green, part crumbled, an odd stem through it

Leaf against stalkMostly leaf, a scatter of thin brittle stem

Rub a pinchCrumbles dry, a faint oil left on the skin

Smell in the jarWarm and herbal, but you lean in to find it

What to look for, from just opened, grey-green and loud to faded to dust, musty, no scent left.

Preparing