Asking the question of what tarragon is, people are far from aware that this intricate word means the well-known tarragon, a fragrant and tasty spice that has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes for a long time.
This is a perennial herb growing to over 1m tall with a branched stem and elongated dark green leaves. The root is quite dense and woody, during flowering, a golden-yellow hue of flowers is characteristic, outwardly resembling a basket. The plant blooms in July and August, after which it produces smooth brown seeds.
Origin of tarragon
Let's talk about where tarragon came from. What it is, our ancestors knew. This plant is one of the most popular in cooking. Its name comes from the Latin word drago, which means "too". Most likely, it was invented based on the appearance of the tarragon root, which is very reptile-like.
Other names of this plant are also common: tarragon and tarragon wormwood. Asia can rightly be called the birthplace of tarragon. Howa cultivated plant used for food, tarragon is grown in the Caucasus, in India and in the central parts of Russia, using it in cooking in fresh and dried form. By taste and smell, the plant is very fragrant and fragrant with subtle notes of anise, thanks to the essential oils that make up tarragon.
Need to know what tarragon looks like. What is this plant, whose appearance resembles wormwood, herbalists know for sure. After all, it is very common not only in cooking, but also in medicine. Even in ancient times, the ancestors used it as a drug that cleanses the blood vessels, helps with disorders and diseases of the stomach, menstrual and toothaches, and increases appetite.
Using tarragon
The plant is widely used as a spice in the preparation of various dishes and salads. A variety of omelettes, lemon and sorrel sauces, steaks, cauliflower, beef stroganoff, zucchini and tomatoes during cooking cannot do without the addition of tarragon. Vegetable dishes, fish, meat, game, legumes and potatoes are also prepared using this spicy spice. Kazakh and Azerbaijani culinary specialists often put spices in their national dishes, adding tarragon to manti, pilaf and other foods. Its use is also listed in the recipes of housewives engaged in preparations for the winter, for example, they put the spice in pickles and tomatoes, sauerkraut and apples. In the production of alcoholic beverages, a few drops of tarragon are added to the solution.
The use of plants inmedicine
For medicinal purposes, tarragon tincture is recommended to drink to improve the functioning of the stomach, the digestive system, with gastritis and bloating, to increase appetite and improve he alth. For external diseases of the oral cavity, a plant-based solution is prepared, and for eczema and dermatitis, a special ointment is mixed that has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. It is prepared on the basis of butter mixed with powder, the main part of which is tarragon. Application occurs as needed, and the finished product is stored in the refrigerator with a tightly closed lid.
The use of tarragon in cooking various dishes
What to cook with tarragon? Recipes for preparing drinks, dishes and treats with the addition of this herb are varied and are present in almost every modern kitchen. A very common drink from tarragon of the same name, which is prepared from fresh herbs, a few lemons, sugar and water. All ingredients are washed, cut and brought to a boil with the addition of 1 liter of water, after which the drink is completely cooled. After straining, it is put in the refrigerator and served chilled.
Dry tarragon leaves smell much less than fresh herbs, so it should be stored in a dry and dark place in a glass container with a tightly closed lid. Tarragon should be added to the finished dish, because during heat treatment all its beneficial properties and smell are lost.
Tarragon: medicinal properties
Since ancient times, this plant has been famous not only for its taste and spicy properties, but also for a large amount of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to human he alth. Tarragon is about a quarter protein and almost half carbohydrate. All useful elements are found not only in stems and leaves, but also in bitter oil, which is very useful and has a unique smell.
Dried tarragon is quite useful, but fresh herbs have a much larger spectrum of vitamins and minerals: A, C, PP, B1, iron, calcium, iodine and phosphorus. In addition, unsaturated and saturated fats, ascorbic acid, essential oils, carotene and coumarins - all this has tarragon, the properties of which are very diverse. The invigorating characteristics of the plant brought him the greatest fame: many tonic drinks are prepared from it. Tarragon is good invigorating, uplifting and increases efficiency.
Useful properties of tarragon
The useful properties of tarragon include the following:
- Useful not only because it tastes good and has a unique aroma, but also because it contains a large amount of vitamin C, which has a beneficial effect on the human body, strengthening the immune system.
- Used as a dewormer, diuretic and tonic.
- Eliminates signs of insomnia, depression and nervousness.
- Helps increase sexual desire, increases male potency.
- Used in the treatment of bronchial tracts, lungs, pneumonia, tuberculosis, relieves headache and toothache.
- Normalizes blood pressure, has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular and nervous systems.
According to nutritionists, tarragon can be included in the diet, replacing s alt with it. It will not only give a unique taste to the dish, but also remove excess water from the body, which contributes to rapid weight loss. Using tarragon in food during a diet, you can not only lose weight, but also cleanse the stomach of parasites, normalize fat metabolism and blood cholesterol levels, increase immunity and body resistance to various colds, viral and infectious diseases.
Contraindications for tarragon
What can be harmful tarragon? Its contraindications apply not only to pregnant women, who are strictly forbidden to use the plant, because it can provoke a miscarriage, but also to epileptics. Tarragon should be used quite carefully, because it belongs to the group of toxic spices. After prolonged use of the product, hallucinations, dizziness, spasms, nervous disorders, depression and convulsions may occur, so it should not be used for more than 1 month, and you should first consult a doctor. If tarragon oil has been prescribed to a child for medicinal purposes, it should be diluted with water, as tarragon can be harmful. Useful properties and contraindications of it in more detail candescribe your he althcare provider.
Tarragon in folk medicine
Among the people tarragon (tarragon) has long been popular in the treatment of a large number of diseases. In dry form, the plant is used to prepare tinctures, ointments and powders. Tarragon tea is very common, increasing immunity and eliminating the symptoms of insomnia, weakness and malaise. To combat varicose veins, a compress is made based on tarragon and kefir, after which it is applied to the affected areas. The main rule in the use of tarragon in traditional medicine and self-treatment is compliance with the dosage.
How to grow tarragon at home?
Having decided to grow such a useful crop in a summer cottage or even on a windowsill, you first need to buy tarragon seeds. There is a wide range of different varieties from different manufacturers on the market, so finding tarragon today is quite simple. In the spring, this perennial plant shoots quickly and can grow in one place up to 10 years in a row, but tarragon is considered most useful during the first few years. Reproduction of the plant occurs in several ways: by sowing seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings.
Tarragon seeds are quite small and flat, it is recommended to sow them for seedlings in late winter or early spring. By the end of April, the ascended shoots are planted in open ground, in which they take root quite well and without much attention. The plant is unpretentious to the soil, grows well both in the shade and onsun. It is necessary to water about 1 time in 10 days. In the spring, add a few kilograms of humus and a small amount of ash as fertilizer to the soil in which tarragon will sprout.
For the entire summer period, tarragon should be cut from 3 to 5 times, and the height of the cut should not exceed 15 cm. The more often the leaves are cut, the larger and more magnificent the bush grows.
How to dry tarragon?
After the final cut of the bush, the tarragon is dried and harvested for the winter. For drying, cut off the top of the plant along with the leaves before it blooms. The leaves are separated from the stems and finely chopped. It should be remembered, when drying tarragon, that this is a plant whose smell is quickly weathered. It is dried in several ways: using a herb dryer, because this process should be fast, and the temperature should not exceed 35 degrees Celsius, or by hanging tied in a bundle in a dark and dry place at low temperatures, without contact with direct sunlight. Otherwise, the seasoning will lose all its flavor and the leaves will turn brown.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that tarragon, the benefits of which are obvious, is not only a fragrant and tasty spice, but also an extremely useful plant, which is indispensable in the kitchen and in the first-aid kit of many housewives.
