What is the difference between oregano and mediterranean oregano

However, there is a difference. They come from different areas of the world and are generally used for different types of cuisine. Having both stocked in your kitchen is a good idea.

They will provide subtle differences in the taste of your dishes. Here is a quick summary of each type of oregano and when you might use it:. This version of oregano is generally stronger and sometimes mintier than the Mediterranean version.

This type of oregano is the best fit for Mexican dishes. Where Mediterranean oregano is sweet, with anise notes, Mexican oregano is grassy, with citrus notes. But that doesn't necessarily mean you can't make those albondigas. You can replace the herb spoonful-to-spoonful with another dried herb Mexican oregano is always dried.

Try dried marjoram also from the origanum family, but similar to Mexican oregano in its citrusy, floral ways or dried verbena. Or go ahead and use dried Mediterranean oregano—just use a little less. In most recipes, the result will be totally okay—and some recipes, like the beans below, will be too drunk to notice.

And who decided one was the regular oregano and one was Mexican oregano. Hopefully, in this blog, we can fill in the gaps a little for you. Regular oregano is an Italian and Mediterranean spice with minty undertones. If it were to be prefaced with geography it would be Mediterranean because it grows throughout Italy, Spain, Turkey, Egypt, and Morocco. The two are also different in appearance.

If the two were sandpaper, Mexican oregano would be like 80 grit and oregano would be like grit. Notice the difference below.