Thyme herbs are part of the mint family and the leaves are used in cooking and to flavor liqueurs. It also has anti bacterial properties.
Scientific name: Thymus Vulgaris
Other names: Garden Thyme, Common Thyme
Thyme belongs to the Labiate family also known as the mint family. Its native range is the stony slopes of the Mediterranean and is now cultivated in Europe and America. Thyme comes from the Latin thymum and the old French word thym. It is a perennial plant that can grow from 6 to 12 inches tall. The leaves are narrow and fleshy and are dark grayish green in color. The best time to harvest the leaves is before the plant starts to flower. The flowers bloom on the tips of the stems and are small. The color of the flowers range in white to lilac.
Thyme contains essential oil made up of thymol which is thyme camphor or thymic acid, saponin, resin and tannin. The leaves have a strong piquant flavor reminiscent of lemon and are used in cooking meats, fish, poultry, marinades and to flavor vinegars, liqueurs and oils.
Medicinal uses: In the middle ages, Thyme was used to treat coughing, digestive disorders and intestinal parasites. Thyme helps loosen the phlegm and mucus and has a sedative effect on irritations of the air passage. In baths, it is used to treat children with rickets. Thymol has anti bacterial properties and therefor is used in commercial products like Listerine; and because it is also an anti spasmodial, it is used in over the counter products like Vicks VapoRub. When rubbed on the chest, it soothes and relaxes the muscles.
To make thyme tea, use two teaspoon of the dried leaves for every cup of hot boiling water. A solution of thyme tea can be used to externally treat athlete's foot. A stronger concentration of the tea can be used as a mouth wash. Pregnant women and women who are trying to get pregnant should not consume thyme tea.
