Thyme has been used as an embalming herb, an incense, as room-freshener, and as medicine. Bunches of it were given to knights by their ladies to bring courage; sprigs have been strewn on coffins to aid passage to the afterlife. Today, thyme is used almost exclusively for cooking. Its sweet, earthy flavor blends rather than dominating flavor, making it useful in nearly any cuisine. It's common in French haute-cuisine and earthy peasant stews alike. Thyme dries better than most herbs, retaining nearly all the flavor of fresh.
The Spice House offers three varities of dried thyme. The Mediterranean thyme has a strong, earthly smell and flavor, and a coarse leafe that holds up well to longer cooking times. The French thyme is a brighter, sweeter, flavor profile and a softer leaf that's easily powdered by hand. Lemon thyme is a hybrid with a lemony aroma and flavor that's great for soups or vegetable dishes. Thyme Variations. Thyme, French Select.
Thyme is a great herb for everyday cooking. French Select Thyme has a deep green color and a fresh, smooth aroma. It is a sweeter flavor and softer leaf than our standard Mediterranean thyme. This product is highly recommended by The Spice House.
Heavier dishes, in general, benefit particularly from thyme. Add it to soups, stews, clam chowder, stuffing, gumbos, heartier sauces, roast chicken or pork, many vegetable dishes, and fish. Thyme is an essential ingredient in any Bouquet Garni.
One particular crop year we were very unhappy with our standard Mediterranean thyme. We sought out some other sources and came up with this really nice crop from France. When the standard thyme crop came back up to its normal quality level, we decided to keep this really great Select Thyme to offer our customers an option.
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