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Ancient Egyptians used
thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in
their baths and burnt it as incense in
their temples, believing that thyme was a source of courage. It was thought that the spread of thyme
throughout Europe was thanks to the Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms and
to "give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs". In the European
Middle Ages, the herb was
placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares.In this
period, women would also often give 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
Thyme is a good source of iron and is widely used in cooking. The herb is a
basic ingredient in Arab
(Lebanese, Libyan,
Syrian, Jordanian etc.), Indian, Italian, French, Albanian, Persian, Portuguese, Assyrian, Spanish, Greek, Nigerian, and Turkish cuisines, and
in those derived from them. It is also widely used in Caribbean
cuisine.
Thyme is often used to flavour meats, soups and stews. It has a particular
affinity to and is often used as a primary flavour with lamb, tomatoes and
eggs.
Thyme, while flavourful, does not overpower and blends well with other herbs
and spices. In some Levantine countries, and Assyrian the condiment za'atar (Arabic for thyme) contains thyme as a vital ingredient.
It is a common component of the bouquet garni, and of herbes de
Provence.
Thyme is sold both fresh and dried. The fresh form is more flavourful but
also less convenient; storage life is rarely more than a week. While
summer-seasonal, fresh thyme is often available year-round.
Fresh thyme is commonly sold in bunches of sprigs. A sprig is a single stem
snipped from the plant. It is composed of a woody stem with paired leaf or
flower clusters ("leaves") spaced ½ to 1" apart. A recipe may measure thyme by
the bunch (or fraction thereof), or by the sprig, or by the tablespoon or
teaspoon. If the recipe does not specify fresh or dried, assume that it means
fresh.
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 specifies
'bunch' or 'sprig' it means the whole form; when it specifies 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. Leaves are often
chopped.
Thyme retains its flavour on drying better than many other herbs. As usual
with dried herbs less of it is required when substituted in a recipe. As a rule
of thumb, use one third as much dried as fresh thyme - a little less if it is
ground. Substitution is often more complicated than that because recipes can
specify sprigs and sprigs can vary in yield of leaves. Assuming a 4" sprig (they
are often somewhat longer), estimate that 6 sprigs will yield one tablespoon of
leaves. The dried equivalent is 1:3, so substitute 1 teaspoon of dried or ¾ tsp
of ground thyme for 6 small sprigs.
As with bay, thyme is slow to release its flavours so it is usually added
early in the cooking process.
The essential oil of common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is made up of 20-54% thymol.
Thymol, an
antiseptic, is the main active
ingredient in Listerine
mouthwash. Before the advent of
modern antibiotics, it was used to medicate bandages
It has also
been shown to be effective against the fungus that commonly infects
toenails.
A tea made by infusing the herb
in water can be used for cough and bronchitis. Medicinally
thyme is used for respiratory infections in the form of a tincture, tisane, salve, syrup or by steam inhalation. Because
it is antiseptic, thyme boiled in water and cooled is very effective against
inflammation of the throat when gargled 3 times a day. The
inflammation will normally disappear in 2 – 5 days. The thymol and other
volatile components in the leaf glands is excreted via the lungs, being highly
lipid-soluble, where it reduces the viscosity of the mucus and exerts its
antimicrobial action. Other infections and wounds can be dripped with thyme that
has been boiled in water and cooled.
In traditional Jamaican childbirth practice, thyme tea is given to the mother
after delivery of the baby. Its oxytocin-like effect causes uterine
contractions and more rapid delivery of the placenta but this was said by Sheila Kitzinger
to cause
an increased prevalence of retained placenta.
Thyme is widely cultivated for its strong flavor, which is due to its content
of thymol.
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 by dividing rooted sections of the plant. It
tolerates drought well. The plants can take
deep freezes and are found growing wild on mountain highlands.
Thyme retains its flavor on drying better than many other herbs.
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