Flavoring Herbs

Herbs are commonly associated with cookery all over the world. There are few which have such a dominant flavor that they could impact the diameter of your nostrils and inflate your windpipe. Basil,sage, thyme and rosemary are robust sun-loving herbs from the Mediterranean with aromas and tastes so unmistakably in dishes that they become a major flavoring agent. Mint with its cool and peppery taste, the onion like chive and the distinctly flavored tarragon are the herbs which are widely grown in temperate regions. All these herbs are capable of creating magic and impact of their own when they are appropriately combined with other ingredients.

                                                   Chives

This can be termed as cousin of onion and garlic, which has been known to gourmets since earlier times, but less attention was paid to its cultivation until the middle ages. Chives have pretty clove like mauve flowers and long straight grass like leaves and now thrive in temperate regions of Europe and North America. They have a typical and delicate onion like flavor and they are added snipped to many lightly colored and bland dishes for both flavor and color. Their distinctive taste uplifts sour cream and creame cheese and they are often use to flavor eggs, potatoes and cucumber. They are also used in sauces like remoulade and ravigoteand  herb butters are sprinkled on many soups such as Vichyssoise and used to garnish tomato and potato salads in particulars. Chives are principally used fresh   and they do not dry well but can be snipped small and can be frozen. Chives are easy to cultivate in any kitchen garden. Though Chives can be dried but the flavor of fresh herbs is undoubtedly incomparably superior to dried version.