Thymus vulgaris and Thymus extract.
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Etymology:Thymus vulgaris.:
The name thyme is borrowed from Latin thymus, which goes back to Greek thymon "thyme". The Greek plant name is usually put in relation with thymos "spirit", originally meaning "smoke" (related to Latin fumus "smoke"; cf. "perfume") and the verb thyein "smoke, cure; offer an incense sacrifice". The reference is probably the strong, smoky odour of thyme. Yet there is also another, unrelated explanation that the Greek name actually comes from Old Egyptian tham, which denoted a plant used in the mummification process.
Th. willdenowii from North Africa
Most European languages have related names all deriving from Latin thymus. Examples are German Thymian, Italian timo, Finnish timjami, Estonian tuumian, Dutch tijm, Russian timyan, Greek thimari and Hebrew timin.
In some Balto-Slavic tongues, however, one can find a group of unrelated names that reminds of local designations for savory: Romanian cimbru, Lithuanian iobreliai and Russian chabrets. Another group of names in Slavonic languages, exemplified by Czech mate?idou?ka and Bulgarian mashterka, appears to derive from a local term for "mother", but I do not know the details.
On the German name of creeping thyme, Quendel, see savory. English creeping thyme and Swedish kryptimian both refer to the shrub's creeping shape. A similar association lies behind French serpolet, Italian serpillo, Basque txerpol and others: These derive via Latin serpullum from the Greek plant name herpyllos which in turn is related to Greek herpein and Latin serpere "creep" (cf. serpent, literally "the creeping one"). The botanical species name serpyllum is a compromise between both the Greek and Latin forms.
A humble little plant from the Western Mediterranean, Thyme is one of those plants that has so many different common names it can make your head swim. Fortunately, it has only one Latin name, Thymus vulgaris. The myriad of names for this simple culinary plant can be more than a little confusing. After all recipes don't call for pinch of 'German Winter Thyme' or a spot of 'French Summer Thyme'; they just call for Thyme.
Why so many names for basically the same plant? A single batch of Thyme seed can produce a lot of minutely different looking thymes with minutely different amounts of flavor. Thus, from Thymus vulgaris seed, we have, not only the two mentioned above, but also 'Narrow Leaved French', 'Greek Gray' and 'Broad Leaf English'. Really a more appropriate name for all these slightly different thymes would be Garden Thyme, or even Common Thyme. After all the word vulgaris means (no, not vulgar) common.
Every once in a while, a really different form of Thymus vulgaris emerges, like Thymus vulgaris 'Argenteus' (Silver Thyme). This is a slightly variegated Common Thyme with the same flavor but a different look. Unlike some variegated plants, this plant is not a sport but a mutated seedling and does not revert back to green. Hi Ho Silver Thyme, a recently introduced variegated Common Thyme, also remains variegated throughout its life. This variety has greater white splotching on its leaves which gives it a more luminescent look. Both of these can be substituted for Common Thyme in any recipe. Hi Ho Silver makes an attractive garnish for your gourmet presentations.
There are also Thymus vulgaris seedlings that have slightly different flavors. Thank goodness they have been given distinctive enough names, like Orange Balsam Thyme and Italian Oregano Thyme to easily identify them from the regular Common Thymes.
Using these varieties in recipes calling for Common Thyme adds a bit of intrigue to the dish because these have slightly different chemical make-ups when compared to Common Thyme.
Common Thymes bloom in spring and attract early butterflies and many different kinds of beneficial flies and wasps. They are also a favorite of honey bees. They should be planted in full sun for best flavor. The ground should be well drained and fairly fertile. After they have bloomed, we will pull them up in a ponytail and crop them past the spent blooms (about a third of the way into the leaves).
The leaves can be used fresh any time; but for drying, it is best to cut fresh growth after the bloom cycle. When three or four inch pieces of new growth can be harvested, cut these in the early morning, after the dew has dried, and make small bundles. Hang these out of direct light and check often for dryness. How long this will take depends on the moisture in the air. It is very important to make sure the Thyme is completely dry before storing, because improperly dried herbs can mildew and rot. If the herb is crispy when crushed between the fingers, then it is dry. When using dried herbs, always remove the herbs from the jar away from the steam of what you are cooking to avoid introducing moisture into the jar.
Thyme leaves may be small, but they pack a powerful punch. Thyme is one of the savory herbs, which are main course herbs used to flavor hardy meals, bone warming soups, and piquant sauces. They blend their essence with other savory herbs like French Tarragon and Winter Savory to create some memorable flavors, as in this savory herbal marinade. Thyme is also one of the three traditional herbs used in Fines Herbes. Visit this link for over 1500 recipes using Thyme.
Reference:
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- 1.Thymus vulgaris and Thymus extract.
This article written and edited via herbalist of MDidea Extracts Professional. They run a range of online descriptions about this herb,including general information related and summarized updating discoveries from findings of professional scientisits this field related.Describe style aimed to form a useful detecting literature space where the intertwined threshold and related questions raise out and visualize themselves.
♣ last edit date:25th,Oct.2010.
