Herbs of Crete

Herbs of Crete grow wild on the hillsides and mountains all over the island, and Cretan cooks use them every day to flavour food. Cretans also make aromatic herbal teas from them, traditionally drunk as home remedies; the most famous are dittany of Crete and Greek mountain tea. The Minoans and the ancient Greeks valued the same wild herbs both as medicine and as seasoning.

This page gives each herb's Greek name, how Cretans cook with it and the myths and history behind it. Our guide to Cretan herbs and spices in the kitchen also covers spices such as cinnamon, cumin and nutmeg.

Basil (Vasilikos)

Greek basil suits any recipe that contains tomatoes. It also goes well with vegetables, soups, salads, eggs, seafood, meat and game.

Hippocrates considered basil beneficial to the heart and prescribed it for constipation and to prevent vomiting. Pliny suggested that vinegar scented with basil would help prevent fainting.

Basil has great religious significance in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and priests use it to bless people. Many Greeks bring basil plants to church as gifts, or to have them blessed by the priest for the health and prosperity of their home.

Bay Leaf (Dafni)

Bay leaves flavour soups, stews, and meat and fish dishes. They suit tomato-based recipes and are usually removed from the dish before serving.

Greek mythology tells how the sun god Apollo pursued the unwilling nymph Daphne, until the gods took pity on her and turned her into a laurel, or bay tree. Greeks still call the bay tree dafni.

The bay tree has been cultivated since ancient times and was sacred because of its links with Apollo and Zeus. Pythia, Apollo's priestess and the Oracle of Delphi, is said to have chewed bay leaves as part of the ritual to foresee the future. Apollo is said to have made a laurel wreath to mark his victory over the dragon Python at Delphi, and laurel crowns were later given to winning athletes at the Pythian Games at Delphi.

Homer mentions bay laurel in the Odyssey.

Dill (Anithos)

Dill is used in cooking and bread making, and goes very well with fish and lemon juice. Cooks also add it to pickles, meat, soups and vegetables, and use it to flavour olive oil and vinegar.

Ancient Greek and Roman soldiers are said to have placed burned dill seeds on their wounds to help them heal.

In medieval Europe, dill was in great demand for love potions, spells and protection against witchcraft. Carrying a bag of dried dill over the heart was thought to protect against curses.

Fennel (Maratho)

Fennel has an aniseed or liquorice flavour, and Greek cooks use its leaves both as a herb and as a green. Fennel flavours meat, seafood and vegetable dishes, and is an ingredient in greens pies.

Fennel gave its name to Marathon, where the Athenians fought the Persians in 490 BCE; marathon means a place full of fennel.

Marjoram (Mantzourana)

Marjoram flavours most meat dishes. It also suits tomato dishes and salad dressings.

The ancient Greeks are said to have planted marjoram on the graves of loved ones, believing it gave the dead eternal peace and happiness. They also made marjoram wreaths for wedding couples as a symbol of love, honour and happiness.

Mint (Dyosmos)

Greek cooks use mint to flavour cheese dishes, meat and rice dishes. Fresh mint steeped in hot water is also a favourite herbal tea.

In Greek mythology, Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with the nymph Menthe. His jealous consort Persephone trampled her, and Menthe turned into the mint plant, which releases its scent every time it is stepped on.

Oregano (Rigani)

Oregano is one of the most used herbs in Greek cooking. It goes into tomato sauces and with meat, fish, cheese, eggs, salads and vegetables such as tomatoes, courgettes and green beans. Oregano tea is a traditional remedy for indigestion and coughs.

The name "oregano" means "joy of the mountain", from the ancient Greek oros (mountain) and ganos (joy). Greek myth says the goddess Aphrodite created its sweet, spicy scent as a symbol of happiness.

In ancient Greece, bridal couples were crowned with garlands of oregano, and oregano plants were placed on tombs to give peace to departed spirits.

Parsley (Maïdanos)

Parsley flavours a great many dishes. Greek cooks treat it almost as a vegetable and add large quantities to soups and stews.

In Greek mythology, parsley was dedicated to Persephone, goddess of the underworld and daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. The ancient Greeks used parsley in funeral rites, which explains the link with the underworld.

Purslane (Glistrida)

Purslane can be sautéed as a side dish, added to soups or served with fish and meat. Raw purslane is excellent in salads, and a very common summer salad on Crete combines fresh purslane with Greek yoghurt. Cretans also pickle purslane for the winter in vinegar with garlic cloves and peppercorns.

Hippocrates regarded purslane as an important medicinal herb for fever, women's complaints, stomach ache, haemorrhoids and wounds. In ancient times it was also thought to protect against magic, and people strewed it round the bed to keep evil spirits away.

Rocket (Roka)

Rocket, also known as arugula, adds a peppery taste to mixed salad greens, chicken and tuna salads, egg dishes and pasta. Greeks traditionally eat it on Clean Monday, the first day of Lent in the Greek Orthodox calendar.

In ancient times, rocket seeds flavoured olive oil and went into aphrodisiac potions dating back to the 1st century.

Rosemary (Dendrolivano)

Rosemary suits a wide range of foods, particularly roast meat. Cooks also use it in marinades, bread, cooked greens and soups.

Ancient civilisations used rosemary as both a medicine and a cooking herb. Traditional remedies used it for abdominal pain, mouth ulcers and sore throats, for aching joints, for slow-healing wounds and for eczema.

Rosemary is called "the herb of remembrance". Students in ancient Greece wore rosemary garlands around their necks, or braided it into their hair, to help their memory during exams, and rosemary tea is still said to help study and concentration.

Sage (Faskomilo)

Sage has a strong flavour and should be used sparingly. Small amounts suit meat and poultry, especially pork, duck, sausages and bacon. On Crete, sage is used when smoking sausages, and bakers put sage twigs in the wood-fired oven while baking dakos, the traditional hard bread of Crete.

Sage tea is a popular drink on Crete, traditionally drunk for menopause symptoms. The European Medicines Agency's herbal monograph on sage leaf recognises traditional use of sage for mild indigestion and for excessive sweating.

Ancient Greek physicians such as Dioscorides and Hippocrates knew the medicinal uses of sage well, and folk medicine in many parts of the world treats sage as a cure-all.

Savory (Throubi)

Savory goes well with beans and flavours fish, vegetables, eggs, soups and stews. It also makes a good garnish.

Over the centuries, savory has been used in folk medicine for stomach pains and women's health, and as an aphrodisiac.

The Latin name for savory, Satureja, is linked to the satyrs of Greek mythology, lustful horned creatures with cloven hooves who lived in the forests and chased nymphs. This legend probably gave savory its reputation as an aphrodisiac.

Tarragon (Estragon)

Tarragon flavours vinegar and olive oil, and suits omelettes, mushrooms and grilled chicken.

Tarragon belongs to the plant genus Artemisia, which takes its name from Artemis, twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the moon.

Thyme (Thymari)

Thyme flavours olive oil, butter, vinegar, meat, poultry, fish, soups and stews, and adds seasoning to salads and cooked vegetables. Bees feed on wild thyme flowers on Crete, and Cretan thyme honey is very popular on the island.

Thyme tea is a traditional remedy for coughs. The European Medicines Agency's herbal monograph on thyme recognises traditional use of thyme preparations for chesty coughs with colds.

The ancient Greeks believed thyme could restore physical strength and lift melancholy. They burned it on altar fires to purify sacrifices to the gods, burned it as incense at funerals and placed it in the coffins of the dead, believing that the soul took up residence in thyme flowers on its way to the afterlife.