Oregano
A Mediterranean herb with a rich history and pungent flavor, used fresh or dried in cuisines worldwide.
Belonging to the Lamiaceae family, the flowering species Origanum vulgare is also referred to as wild marjoram.[1] While oregano serves as a culinary herb, no clinical evidence supports claims that it offers health or anti-disease benefits.[2]
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Origanum
- Species
- vulgare
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
It grows to 90 cm tall and 50 cm wide, with spade-shaped, olive-green leaves.[3] The primary compounds carvacrol and thymol can range to over 80% of the oil.[4] Oregano was introduced to the United States during the wave of Italian and Greek immigration at the turn of the 20th century.[5] It did not gain mainstream popularity in the U.S. until after World War II, when returning soldiers developed a taste for it.[5]
The term "oregano" entered English from the Spanish orégano, which traces back to Latin orīganum and ultimately to Classical Greek ὀρίγανον.[6] This plant is a perennial, but in colder climates it is often cultivated as an annual because it frequently fails to survive the winter.[7] Polyphenols, including a variety of flavones, are present in oregano.[8] Monoterpenoids and monoterpenes make up the bulk of its essential oil, and more than 60 distinct compounds have been identified in it.[4]
The process of drying the plant material lowers both the amount and the range of volatile compounds present.[9]
What the cited sources add
The Florida Heritage Foods account states oregano is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and has been used as food and medicine for thousands of years.[5] According to the same source, oregano was introduced to Latin America by the Spanish, though the type common there is a different species, Plectranthus amboinicus.[5] The Florida Heritage Foods account notes that oregano is rich in iron, manganese, vitamin K, fiber, and calcium.[5] Dean's 2013 article in Bon Appetit explains that in parts of Europe, oregano and marjoram share the name "wild marjoram" and "sweet marjoram," making them hard to distinguish in historical references.[10]
The same article reports that a 1373 verse herbal gave the oregano and marjoram family the native English name "brother worte".[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Oregano" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "American: Oregano", Collins Dictionary, n.d.; "British: Oregano", Collins Dictionary (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Oregano" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Oregano Description, History, Uses, & Facts Britannica", www.britannica.com, 2026-06-15 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Oregano" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Francis-Baker, "Concise Foraging Guide", Bloomsbury, 2021, p. 87 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Oregano" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Teixeira, "Chemical composition and bioactivity of different oregano (Origanum vulgare) extracts and essential oil", Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2013, p. 2707–14 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Oregano – Florida Heritage Foods", Florida Heritage Foods, February 17, 2026. facts only, no text reused. floridaheritagefoods.com
- Wikipedia, "Oregano" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Oregano", Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, Inc.; "Oregano", Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, Inc.; Dean, "The Etymology of Oregano and Marjoram", Bon Appetit, 21 June 2013 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Oregano" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Origanum vulgare L. oregano", Plants Database, United States Department of Agriculture; "Growing Culinary Herbs in Ontario", Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs; Peter, "Handbook of herbs and spices", Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2004, p. 219; "Herbs", Government of Saskatchewan, September 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Oregano" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dragland, "Several culinary and medicinal herbs are important sources of dietary antioxidants", Journal of Nutrition, 1 May 2003, p. 1286–90; Tair, "Origanum species native to the island of Crete: in vitro antioxidant characteristics and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry identification of major polyphenolic components", Natural Product Research, 2014, p. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Oregano" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Figiel, "Composition of oregano essential oil (Origanum vulgare) as affected by drying method", Journal of Food Engineering, 2010, p. 240–7 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Dean, "The Etymology of Oregano and Marjoram", Bon Appetit, 21 June 2013. facts only, no text reused. bonappetit.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Oregano (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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