By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer
I've been trying to sort out the differences between oregano and marjoram because I want to add one or both to my garden, and it's making my head hurt. Both plants are in the same genus, Origanum, that much I know, but after that everything gets fuzzy.
For instance, what we commonly think of as marjoram is O. majorana, but there are many other species that are called marjorams, too. O. syriacum is known as Syrian marjoram, for instance, and O. onites as Cretan marjoram. But they're also called Syrian oregano and Cretan oregano just as often.
And what we classify as basic oregano botanically, O. vulgare, is commonly called wild marjoram. And what we're probably used to tasting if we buy oregano from the supermarket is a cross between O. vulgare and O. majorana and is described as Italian oregano or hardy marjoram. (It's 'Italian oregano' that is shown here.) See what I mean? What confusion!
That's why I was very happy to come across Richard Frost's summary of the whole problem in a recent article in Talking Plants, the monthly publication of the San Diego Horticulture Society. Frost sensibly skips the whole botanical issue and cuts to what is most important--how the different varieties taste. It's such a nice succinct summary I'm going to reprint it in total here with his permission:
"When it comes to oreganos, there are opinions as strong as the herb can be in taste. The standard kind that you find generically labeled in U.S. supermarkets is 'Italian.' On the milder, sweeter side is 'Sweet Oregano', which many people know by the name "marjoram." The white oregano cultivar 'Kaliteri' is even milder but with a traditional oregano taste.
For regular oregano with a peppery taste, try 'Greek' (a small bite will be sufficient for most people). The Middle-Eastern variety 'Za-atar' is the main ingredient of a sauce of the same name and has pleasant cumin-like overtones. The most pungent oregano I have ever tried is 'Syrian', which will stand out in almost any dish."
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That cleared it up for me. Seems like you ought to have a mild one and a spicy one and I love anything that hints at cumin. So I'm ordering 'Kaliteri' and 'Za-atar'. What would you order?
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For more examples of Frost's clear thinking, see the website, www.PlantsThatProduce.
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If you live in Southern California, here are two great places to taste oregano and lots of other herbs:
Herb weekend at Fullerton Arboretum this weekend, May 30-31, 10 am.-4pm.
Pearson's Garden & Herb Farm in Vista, California -- any time
