Herbes de Provence (Provençal herbs) is a mixture of dried
herbA herb is a plant that is valued for flavor, scent, or other qualities. Herbs are used in cooking, as medicines, and for spiritual purposes....
s from
ProvenceProvence is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
invented in the 1970s.
The mixture typically contains savory,
fennelFennel , is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...
,
basilBasil , of the Family Lamiaceae , is a tender low-growing herb.Basil is a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in the Southeast Asian cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The plant tastes somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, sweet...
,
thymeThyme is a well known herb; in common usage the name may refer to* any or all members of the plant genus Thymus,* common thyme, Thymus vulgaris, and some other species that are used as culinary herbs or for medicinal purposes.-History:...
, and
lavenderThe lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region south to tropical Africa and to the southeast regions of India. The genus includes annuals, herbaceous plants, subshrubs, and small shrubs...
flowers and other herbs. (Some cooks maintain that lavender is an essential ingredient of true herbes de provence.) The proportions vary by manufacturer.
ThymeThyme is a well known herb; in common usage the name may refer to* any or all members of the plant genus Thymus,* common thyme, Thymus vulgaris, and some other species that are used as culinary herbs or for medicinal purposes.-History:...
usually dominates the taste produced by the herb mixture.
Herbes de Provence are used to flavour grilled foods such as fish and meat, as well as vegetable stews.
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Herbes de Provence (Provençal herbs) is a mixture of dried
herbA herb is a plant that is valued for flavor, scent, or other qualities. Herbs are used in cooking, as medicines, and for spiritual purposes....
s from
ProvenceProvence is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
invented in the 1970s.
The mixture typically contains savory,
fennelFennel , is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...
,
basilBasil , of the Family Lamiaceae , is a tender low-growing herb.Basil is a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in the Southeast Asian cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The plant tastes somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, sweet...
,
thymeThyme is a well known herb; in common usage the name may refer to* any or all members of the plant genus Thymus,* common thyme, Thymus vulgaris, and some other species that are used as culinary herbs or for medicinal purposes.-History:...
, and
lavenderThe lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region south to tropical Africa and to the southeast regions of India. The genus includes annuals, herbaceous plants, subshrubs, and small shrubs...
flowers and other herbs. (Some cooks maintain that lavender is an essential ingredient of true herbes de provence.) The proportions vary by manufacturer.
ThymeThyme is a well known herb; in common usage the name may refer to* any or all members of the plant genus Thymus,* common thyme, Thymus vulgaris, and some other species that are used as culinary herbs or for medicinal purposes.-History:...
usually dominates the taste produced by the herb mixture.
Herbes de Provence are used to flavour grilled foods such as fish and meat, as well as vegetable stews. The mixture can be added to foods before or during cooking or mixed with cooking oil prior to cooking so as to infuse the flavour into the cooked food. They are rarely added after cooking is complete.
Herbes de Provence are often sold in larger bags than other herbs, and the price in Provence is considerably lower than other herbs.
Provençal cuisine has traditionally used many herbs, which were often characterized collectively as "herbes de Provence", but not in standard combinations, and not sold as a mixture:
...the famous mixtures of herbes de Provence... were unknown to
my Provençal grandmothers, who used, individually and with discernment, thyme,
rosemary and savorySummer savory is the better known of the Savory species. It is an annual, but otherwise is similar in use and flavor to the perennial Winter savory.This herb has lilac tubular flowers which bloom from July to September....
gathered in the countryside.
It was in the 1970s that standard mixtures were formulated by spice wholesalers, including notably Ducros in France (now part of
McCormick & CompanyMcCormick & Company is the global leader in the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of spices, herbs, and flavorings for the retail, commercial, and industrial markets. The company began in 1889 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. One hundred years later, in 1989, McCormick moved from downtown...
).