History/Origin

 Thyme is originally native to southern Europe and Mediterranean regions.  It was thought that the spread of thyme throughout Europe was thanks to the Romans.  Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks and Romans used thyme for many different uses—both culinary and medicinal.  Thyme is an essential ingredient in French, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Persian cuisines. It is a common component of the bouquet garni. Botanical  Thyme (pronounced “time”) is a well-known herb of the mint family.  It is a fragrant, small, hardy, evergreen, perennial plant growing about 1 foot in height with tiny gray-green leaves.  Small lilac to pink flowers appear at the end of the leaf stems in the summer.  There are about 100 species of thyme; all are wonderfully aromatic.  Thyme is considered by many herbalist as the very nearly perfect useful herb. Nutrition

 The essential oil of thyme is made up of 20-54% thymol, which is an antiseptic.  It is a main active ingredient in mouthwash and can be found in all-natural, alcohol-free hand sanitizers.  Thyme tea is useful in combating fatigue, depression and stress. It also is commonly used to help relieve cough and bronchial problems.  Thyme is a good source of iron. Fun Facts

 Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming in mummification.  Thyme is highly attractive to bees. When planted next to vegetables it can help promote pollination.  Ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense. They believed it was a source of courage.  Thyme retains much of its flavor when dried. When substituting dry for fresh, use one-third as much dried thyme as you would fresh (1 Tbs fresh = 1 tsp dried).