A-Z Challenge---"O"

Well, Hello there!!! I am so pleased that you stopped by  to visit!
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    For the past many years I have had an interest...no, make that a fascination with herbs, spices and seasonings. - About how they were used by our ancestors centuries ago for a variety of ailments, and how they are used today to enhance your favorite recipe.

With this in mind I am attempting to present a different herb, spice or seasoning  for each day of the  A-Z Challenge. Please drop by often and perhaps we both will learn something new.

Learn more about these terms

     "O" is for Oregano

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Here we are with the 15th letter of the alphabet.."O".. and the choices are "onion","olida","orris root" and the most common of O choices would be ~
OREGANO

Oregano is like marjoram, but more pungent and not as sweet. Its botanical name is Origanum Vulgare, Greek for "joy of the mountains". Because of its pungency oregano requires a bit more caution in its use. Mediterranean oregano is milder that Mexican oregano.
Oregano, commonly called "the pizza herb" is one of the most widely used herbs worldwide, is it is hard to imagine anyone not having tried it. However, oregano was virtually unheard of in the U.S. until the soldiers returning from World War II heightened the popularity of pizza. In fact sales of oregano increased by 5200% (that is not a  misprint )between 1948 and 1956 due to pizzamania!           (.Hmmm,wish I had owned an oregano farm!!)!

Speaking of pizza, I had not made my own pizza from scratch in ages, and found this recipe that I think you will love.


Medicinal uses and Interesting Facts.

~Oregano contains iron, vitamin E. vitamin C, copper, magnesium ,calcium, vitamin B6, niacin, thiamine and riboflavin
~Steep two tablespoons of fresh oregano in eight ounces of water for five minutes to create a refreshing antioxidant tea.
~Oregano can be used to treat head lice.
~Oregano is a welcome addition to a long list of antioxidant rich herbs like garlic,thyme pepper and sage.
~To derive the maximum benefit from supplements, use them within the first six months of purchase. Store in a cool dark place and keep them away from moisture.

There is a multitude of other health benefits for oregano, much like the other herbs mentioned in previous posts. I am avoiding redundancy by not listing all these again, but these benefits can be found at this site.

Disclaimer

The material provided on this site is designed for information and educational purposes only. The materials are not intended to be a self diagnostic and/or self treatment tool. I encourage you to use this information as a tool for discussing your condition with your health practitioner.    *The medicinal usages are for informational and educational purposes only*
                                      


Sources:
www.food.com
http://herbs.lovetoknow.com