This article is about leaves and oils of the thyme plant. For the genus of thyme plants, see
Thymus (plant). For the active ingredient in thyme oil, see
Thymol. For other uses, see
Thyme (disambiguation).
Thyme (/taɪm/) is the herb (dried aerial parts) of some members of the genus Thymus of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family
Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the
oregano genus Origanum, with both plants being mostly indigenous to the
Mediterranean region. Thymes have culinary, medicinal, and ornamental uses, and the species most commonly cultivated and used for culinary purposes is Thymus vulgaris.
History
Thyme is indigenous to the
Mediterranean region.[1] Wild thyme grows in the
Levant, where it might have been first cultivated.
Ancient Egyptians used thyme for
embalming.[2] The
ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as
incense in their temples, believing it was a source of
courage. The spread of thyme throughout Europe was thought to be due to the
Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms and to "give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs".[3] In the European
Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares.[4] In this period, women also often gave
knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves, as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thyme was also used as incense and placed on
coffins during
funerals, as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.[5]
Thyme is best cultivated in a hot, sunny location with well-drained soil. It is generally planted in the spring, and thereafter grows as a
perennial. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings, or dividing rooted sections of the plant. It tolerates drought well.[7] The plant can take deep freezes and is found growing wild on mountain highlands. It grows well on dry slopes. It can be pruned after flowering to keep from getting woody.[8]
Thyme is sold both fresh and dried. While summer-seasonal, fresh greenhouse thyme is often available year-round. The fresh form is more flavourful but also less convenient; storage life is rarely more than a week. However, the fresh form can last many months if carefully frozen.[12]
Fresh thyme is commonly sold in bunches of sprigs. A sprig is a single stem snipped from the plant.[13] It is composed of a woody stem with paired leaf or flower clusters ("leaves") spaced 15 to 25 millimetres (1⁄2 to 1 inch) apart. A recipe may measure thyme by the bunch (or fraction thereof), or by the sprig, or by the tablespoon or teaspoon. Dried thyme is widely used in Armenia in
tisanes (called urc).
Depending on how it is used in a dish, the whole sprig may be used (e.g., in a bouquet garni), or the leaves removed and the stems discarded. Usually, when a recipe mentions a bunch or sprig, it means the whole form; when it mentions spoons, it means the leaves. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute dried for whole thyme.
Leaves may be removed from stems either by scraping with the back of a knife, or by pulling through the fingers or tines of a fork.
Thyme retains its flavour on drying better than many other herbs.[14]
Thymus serpyllum (wild thyme, creeping thyme) is an important
nectar source plant for
honeybees. All thyme species are nectar sources, but wild thyme covers large areas of droughty, rocky soils in southern Europe (both
Greece and Malta are especially famous for wild thyme honey) and North Africa, as well as in similar landscapes in the
Berkshire and
Catskill Mountains of the northeastern US. The lowest growing of the widely used thyme is good for walkways. It is also an important caterpillar food plant for large and common blue butterflies.[20]
Thymus vulgaris (common thyme, English thyme, summer thyme, winter thyme, French thyme,[21] or garden thyme)[22] is a commonly used
culinary herb. It also has medicinal uses. Common thyme is a
Mediterranean perennial which is best suited to well-drained soils and full sun.
^
abGrieve, Mrs. Maud.
"Thyme. A Modern Herbal". botanical.com (Hypertext version of the 1931 ed.).
Archived from the original on February 23, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2008.
^Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
^"Thyme (thymus)". englishplants.co.uk. The English Cottage Garden Nursery.
Archived from the original on 2006-09-27.
^Peter, K.V. (2012). Handbook of herbs and spices Volume 2.
^Lee, Seung-Joo; Umano, Katumi; Shibamoto, Takayuki; Lee, Kwang-Geun (2005). "Identification of Volatile Components in Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and Thyme Leaves (Thymus vulgaris L.) and Their Antioxidant Properties". Food Chemistry. 91: 131–137.
doi:
10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.05.056.
S. S. Tawfik, M. I. Abbady, Ahmed M. Zahran and A. M. K. Abouelalla. Therapeutic Efficacy Attained with Thyme Essential Oil Supplementation Throughout γ-irradiated Rats. Egypt. J. Rad. Sci. Applic., 19(1): 1-22 (2006).