Work This Herb Quiz To Earn Thyme and a Half

Answer: Dill

The dill is an annual plant and from the family of Apiaceae, the same as carrots. Dill is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and magnesium. Its bountiful supply of flavonoids helps protect us against heart disease. It also has gastrointestinal benefits as it eases constipation and indigestion. Dill is actually an herb and a spice: the fresh leaves are used as an herb in recipes for salads, meat, veggies, etc. while the dried seeds of the dill plant are used as a spice in soups, pickles and other foods.

Answer: Chives

A quarter cup of chives has about 25% of the daily requirement of Vitamin K which helps with bone mineralization and cell growth. Chives, aka rush leeks are related to garlic, shallots, and scallions. It's usually used somewhat decoratively in dishes, but they are also loaded with the beta-carotene, Vitamin A, and have an abundance of antioxidants.

Answer: Basil

The word basil is derived from the Greek "Basileus" meaning royal or king. Traders and explorers spread the use of basil from India to other countries. The basil plant of which there are about 150 varieties, grows between a foot and a yard tall. Basil has shown to have antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and digestive health properties.

Answer: Laurel

The Laurel tree goes by several different names such as Sweet Laurel, the Bay tree, the Bay Laurel, the Stan Laurel...no wait, not that last one. The tree is an evergreen from the Mediterranean that has yellow flowers and small fruits that resemble berries. The leaves of the Laurel tree were used in crowns and wreaths in ancient Rome and Greece. Though laurel leaves are popular as a garnish in many dishes, they should not be swallowed whole because of the sharp leaves.

Answer: Rosemary

The rosemary plant related to mint is also from the Mediterranean area as so many herbs seem to be in origin. The name comes from the Latin "ros marinus" aka "dew of the sea" so named for its fresh aroma. The plant can grow over 6 feet tall and ancient Egyptians were the first to use it in cooking....and also embalming.

Answer: Oregano

Oregano is derived from the Greek words "oros" meaning "mountain" and "ganos" meaning "joy". The purple-leaved flower plant is commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine--who after all, hasn't sprinkled some extra oregano on their pizza from those jars supplied in pizzerias. Oil of oregano is used by many people for centuries to fight off illnesses and infections.

Answer: Thyme

Here it is your thyme and a half bonus for getting this question correct. The phenol thymol is derived from oil of thyme, and it has shown to have strong antimicrobial properties in reducing bacteria's resistance to drugs. The subtropical tiger mosquito was also spreading Yellow fever, dengue fever and some other illnesses during the 1990s, but South Korean scientists found that the use of thymol was instrumental in working with other compounds to destroy tiger mosquito offspring.

Answer: Juniper

It is gin that we enjoy with tonic water, that gets its name from the French "genievre" which means juniper. Those cones from the Juniperis communis are used as a spice, and give gin its distinct flavor. Junipers are possibly the only spice that is derived from conifers, that is, seed plants that bear cones. An oil is derived from juniper berries and is used in perfumes.

Answer: Savory

The savory originated in guess which region, that's right, the Mediterranean. And belongs to guess which family, that's right the mint family. I'm noticing a pattern here about herbs. From an annual plant, the summer savory is the most commonly used savory plant.

It is used in many dishes in Bulgarian and Romanian cuisine. The winter savory, aka mountain savory, is a perennial plant, not an annual. Both types of savory herbs are good for digestion, arthritis, and overall health.

Answer: Curry

A Thai Curry Chicken recipe for instance may contain basil, cilantro, pepper, garlic, etc. in addition to curry but "Curry" often is the prevailing herb in the dish's title. A curry is more usually what we call South Asian cuisine dishes with many seasonings.

The south India cuisine may include the curry tree among those spices. There are many different choices of spices used in many different curries; coconut milk is a common one, with various spicy pastes. Even curry powder is actually comprised of a mixture of spices including cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, garlic, ginger, and turmeric.

The word curry most likely is derived from the Tamil word "kari", meaning "sauce".