Herbs de Provence
Herbs de Provence, or Herbes de Provence, to use the correct French spelling, denotes a mixture of different
cooking herbs native to Provence, in the south of France. Which particular herbs you find in a herbs de
Provence mix can vary, but in theory they are all herbs you would find growing in the Mediterranean region
of France.
The Amazing Rosemary BushWhen we lived in Corsica we always had a garden, and I quickly learned how tough cultivating the Mediterranean soil could be. There is a little bit of dirt on the island, but it is for the most part one big rock. Despite these poor conditions, you can always count on certain things growing in the soil - they are well adapted to these conditions. Among these plants are: rosemary, thyme, sage, and lavender.
Lavender
When you use some of these herbs, you might like to recall how rugged and strong some of the plants are that they come from. List of Herbs de ProvenceHere's a list of what you might find in a mixture of herbs de Provence along with their French name.
Make Your Own Mix Many herbs these days sold as Herbes de Provence aren't actually grown in Provence, and some people gripe that packaged herb mixes lack in flavor. If you are able to grow some of these herbs yourself, you could mix them together however you wished and call them Herbes de Provence. Package them yourself in a pretty jar and you have a very nice gift to offer a friend. When to use these Herbs for CookingYou can use Herbes de Provence to flavor just about any savory dish. I always have a large jar on hand and when in doubt, I add a teaspoon or two (or more) to whatever I'm cooking. It is perfect to sprinkle on grilled foods and you don't need to limit its use to just French recipes either.
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I think my favorite plant was rosemary. You would be amazed to see what a tough plant this is. It can be
covered in snow in the winter, without water for weeks in the hot summer, trod upon by cows, and
generally ignored for months at end. Nothing seems to disturb its fragrant presence.
Lavender is so well adapted that it grows in wild abundance all over Corsica. Indeed the fragrant maquis
is home to many wild herbs and I often wished I knew which to pick and use at home. However, I cautiously
stuck with what I could grow myself. It is a real pleasure to walk out in your garden and clip off a few
stalks of some herb to flavor the evening meal.
