Tarragon – Artemisia Dracunculus

French Tarragon is a perennial herbaceous medicinal plant that originates from Central Asia. The plant produces a small, dark coloured fruit and light-green leaves that represent its most highly perfumed component, with their pleasingly fresh and pungent flavour.

The French Tarragon plant is used in the kitchen in the preparation of soups and mainly fish-based dishes. Other uses include accompanying shellfish, meat, eggs and omelettes and vegetables and as the primary ingredient in French Tarragon vinegar.

French Tarragon has several therapeutic properties: antiseptic, stimulant and deworming.

Mexican Tarragon is a perennial herbaceous medicinal plant that originates from Mexico and Central America. The plant is used as both for its medicinal properties and as a cooking herb. The leaves, either fresh or dried, are used to add flavour to soups.

The aroma given off by the burnt leaves of Mexican Tarragon is particularly offensive to mosquitoes and as a result, the plant is used widely as an incense to repel these annoying insects.