Usage: Tarragon flavor tends to fade with heat, thus, it is best added near the end of cooking. The herb has a warm, sweet, minty flavor - similar to anise - and has become widely popular in European countries. Tarragon is commonly used in fines herbs, bouquet garni and herbs de Provence. It is delicious with mushrooms, tomatoes, fish, poultry, and egg-based dishes.

Info: Also known as dragon's wort and silky wormwood. Many believed that through the Mongol invasion in the mid 1100s, Spain was first introduced to minty, aromatic herb. Tarragon was believed to have properties to cure snake bites because of its serpentine shape root. Tarragon has eugenol (anesthetic properties) which was why the ancient Greeks used it to treat toothaches.

There are two kind of tarragon - French and Russian tarragon, both  are very different in cultivation and taste. French tarragon, which is generally preferred in the kitchen, is cultivated by root and produces a warm and delicate flavor. On the other hand, Russian tarragon is easier to cultivate - by seed - but has a bitter taste.

Origin: Northern Hemisphere