Mexican oregano

A peppery, earthy herb that's better dried than fresh — which is how most of the Mediterranean uses it.

What to do with it

Classics built on it

MexicanBirriaGoat or beef marinated in a paste of dried chillies, vinegar and spice, cooked slowly until it falls apart, and served in its own rich broth.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Mediterranean / Greek: Sharp and resinous; sold dried on the branch in Greece.
Mexican oregano: A different plant, with a citrusy, grassier edge — for salsas, pozole and beans.

Knowing it

Where to buy: Greek and Turkish grocers for bunches of dried; Latin American grocers for Mexican.
Worth knowing: Crumble dried oregano between your palms as it goes in, to wake it up.

Kitchens that keep it in

MexicoMexicanMaize, chillies and fire: a cooking thousands of years deep, built on nixtamalised corn, a whole spectrum of dried chillies, and salsas at every meal.11 classics