Oregano 40gr "Inatos", Crete

Oregano is a native plant found in many territories in Greece.

Oregano contains many essential oils, the two most important being thymol and carvacrol. The essential oils prevent the action of micro-organisms and protect the body from many diseases.

Oregano is a great antioxidant factor. Oregano’s main essential oils, thymol and carvacrol, are intensively antioxidant, even more than the synthetic antioxidants (BHT and BHA) used extensively in fresh meat packings.

Using oregano with meat, not only taste is added but the meat’s nutritional value becomes higher. It is found that oregano’s antioxidant action is 12 times more powerful than the orange’s, 30 times better than the potato’s and 42 than the apple’s antioxidant value.

On the other hand, oregano is a great source of natural fiber, iron and b-carotene. Fibers lower the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in blood, making the combination “oregano – meat” more harmonic, almost ideal.

Aristotle wrote that should a wounded animal eat oregano, the wound would heal. Even today, it is common practice for greek hunters to fill their prey’s belly with sprigs of oregano so that the meat remains unharmed until they return home.

Oregano has an intense, spicy and slightly bitter taste.

Healing Properties

-       Oregano belongs to the plants with  high content of vitamin C.

-   Used as a beverage or “tea”, oregano fights the atony of the intestines, eases digestion and calms down the neural system. It is also regarded as a diuretic and emmenagogue.

-       Oregano “tea” helps with hypertension and atherosclerosis.

-     Gargles with oregano "tea" are good for inflammations and ulcers of the mouth and tonsils.

-       The oregano essential oil is used for fighting lice.

-       Compresses with oregano soothe bruises and swellings.

-       Generally, modern medicine is widely using oregano.

Oregano in cooking

Oregano is a basic element of the Mediterranean cuisine. Can you imagine greek salad without oregano? It is enhancing the taste of all meat and fish. It is resistant to high temperature, so it can be used from the beginning of cooking.