Nasser Khan
Published:
Sunday, July 17, 2016
In this the 19th instalment of the continuing series, Food for Thought/Grow & Eat Local, we focus on thyme, a must-have seasoning ingredient in many a Trini dish.
This series seeks to inform about the 149 crops that are grown in T&T (not counting the varieties within many of them) which are depicted on two charts with a photo of each crop in alpha order giving the local and scientific names and sponsored by First Citizens.
The model has been duplicated in Barbados, St Lucia and St Vincent and efforts are underway to do so in Jamaica and Guyana. Copies have been distributed to all schools and libraries. Information regarding their availability: email fruitstt@live.com
In the West Indies and particularly in T&T, the herb commonly known as thyme is widely used, might we say ‘thyme and time again’, in various types of cooking. When one buys a bunch of chive, it usually contains a sprig of thyme. However, the word thyme is commonly used (erroneously) to refer to other highly scented leafy herbs other than Thymus vulgaris—common thyme or French thyme. The other two types of thymes used in our local cuisine will be described and the correct names identified.
Thyme is an evergreen herb with culinary, medicinal and ornamental uses with its origin in the Mediterranean region. It is of the genus Thymus of the mint family (Lamiaceae), and a relative of the oregano genus Origanum. Here in T&T, this herb is known as either French thyme or small-leaf thyme.
Thyme is best cultivated in a hot, sunny location with well-drained soil and tolerates drought well. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings, or dividing rooted sections of the plant. Here in the tropics thyme grows year-round and is usually started from seed.
The thyme plant is a low shrub close to the ground with narrow or even wiry stems. As the plant matures, stems become woody. Leaves are small, oval, with a pointed tip, four–20 mm long, and usually aromatic. 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.
Oil of thyme, the essential oil of common thyme (Thymus vulgaris), contains thymol. Thymol, an antiseptic, is an active ingredient in various commercially produced mouthwashes. Before the advent of modern antibiotics, oil of thyme was used to medicate bandages. It has also been shown to be effective against various fungi that commonly infect toenails. Thymol can also be found as the active ingredient in some all-natural, alcohol-free hand sanitizers. A tisane made by infusing the herb in water can be used for coughs and bronchitis.
Other important species of Thymus include: Thymus citriodorus—various lemon thymes, orange thymes, lime thyme; Thymus herba-barona (caraway thyme) is used both as a culinary herb and a ground cover, and has a very strong caraway scent due to the chemical carvone; Thymus serpyllum (wild thyme, creeping thyme) is an important nectar source plant for honeybees.
The second “thyme” is Lippia which is a genus of flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. Here in T&T, Lippia graveolens is commonly referred to as big leaf thyme or oregano and is commonly used as a substitute for the true oregano. L graveolens is commonly known worldwide as Mexican oregano. The flavour of Mexican oregano has a stronger savory component instead of the piney hint of rosemary flavour in the true oregano, and its citrus accent might be more aromatic than in oregano. Big-leaf thyme is a shrub or small tree with white or yellowish flowers.
Stems/branches are harvested and dried; leaves are then removed and stored. The flavour of dried big-leaf thyme is very strong and is commonly used in the cooking of tomato-based dishes including pizza here in Trinidad. It is easily propagated by stem cuttings and the plant can live for many years.
The third thyme is Plectranthus amboinicus which is commonly referred to as either Spanish or French thyme. Its other name—podina will be used here. Podina is a large succulent herb with fleshy and highly aromatic, much branched leaves, and possessing short soft erect hairs with distinctive smelling leaves.
The taste of this leaf is pleasantly aromatic with agreeable and refreshing odour. The leaves are strongly flavoured and make an excellent addition to stuffings for meat and poultry. Finely chopped, they can also be used to flavour meat dishes, especially beef, lamb and game.
In Trinidad, it is commonly used in the preparation of fresh chutneys. It is also used as a vegetable in South East Asia. The herb is used as a substitute for oregano in the food trade and food labelled “oregano-flavoured” may well contain this herb.
The leaves have many traditional medicinal uses, especially for the treatment of coughs, sore throats and nasal congestion, but also for a range of other problems such as infections, rheumatism and flatulence. The herb grows easily in a well-drained, semi-shaded position and is very commonly grown as a potted plant; it is a fast-growing plant. Propagation is by stem cuttings.
Here in T&T, we tend to gravitate towards fruits and foods that are not local. Estimates are that our food import bill is near TT$5 billion annually and growing. Did you know that in the 1960s the Macqueripe/Tucker Valley was lush with citrus and banana fields producing more than enough to supply the nation? In other fertile areas other crops were prolific.
Oil centricity, industrialisation and non-agricultural business have essentially put paid significantly to the agricultural sector. It is critical that we as a nation engage and support the resurrection and revival of local food production (eg in schools), processing and consumption; as a country, we must place greater emphasis on food sovereignty as a matter of urgent attention. For example, better roads are needed as highlighted in the Guardian recently http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-06-14/couva-farmers-want-road-fixed.
Visit the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries’ website at http://www.agriculture.gov.tt/
This series is written in collaboration with Cynthra Persad, retired director of Research, Ministry of Agriculture.
Nutrients table
Food and Description Calcium (mg) Potassium (mg) Sodium (mg) Zinc (mg) Vit.A Thiamin (mg) Riboflavin (mg) Niacin (mg)
Thyme (French) - leaf 630 270 18 2.4 420 0.25 1.34 8.9
Green seasoning
INGREDIENTS
1 bundle celery
2 heads garlic, cleaned and chopped
3 onions, chopped
6 leaves big leaf thyme
5 sprigs Spanish thyme
8 sprigs fine leaf thyme
36 leaves chadon beni
12 pimento peppers, chopped
4 bundles chive, chopped
1/4 cup vinegar (optional)
1/2 cup water
1 hot pepper (optional)
Salt to your taste
METHOD
• Chop ingredients and place everything in a large bowl.
• In a blender add handfuls of the ingredients blending in batches at a time.
• Blend until smooth.
• Strain the green seasoning mixture and collect the liquid below.
• The liquid will be reused to blend the other batches of ingredients.
• Collect the strained mixture in a separate bowl.
• When all the ingredients have been blended, pour everything, liquid too, into a bowl and add salt.
• Store in containers and refrigerate.
Sport
lemon thyme