"I believe that if ever I had to practice cannibalism, I might manage if there were enough tarragon around," said James Beard, father of American gastronomy. 

The French consider French Tarragon to be the King of Herbs and it is one of four herbs that are called the "fines herbes". Fines herbes consist of fresh tarragon, parsley, chervil and chives, and are considered a necessary basic in French cuisine.

Its aroma and taste is similar to anise, with peppery notes. It is best used fresh (at the end of the cooking) or preserved in vinegar or oil as the intensity is much reduced when dry. There are other varieties of tarragon but French Tarragon is the preferred choice of chefs. Other varieties, such as Russian Tarragon, are weaker and more bitter in flavour, although sometimes used in salads. The recently introduced Mexican Tarragon is similar in flavour and intensity to French Tarragon but sweeter and is gaining in popularity because it can be grown from seed, which is not possible with French Tarragon. 

Origins & Myth

Tarragon is a perennial herb and is part of the same species family as daisy and wormwood. It is thought to have originated from Central Asia. It was first introduced to Britain in the mid 15^th century, first cultivated in Europe in the late 1500's, and introduced to the US in the early 1800's. 

Its generic name (Artemisia) is derived from the Greek Goddess Artemis, while its specific name dracunculus L. is derived from the Latin for small dragon. It is often called the dragon herb or dragon wort. 

According to food historians the plant was linked to dragons because of the serpent-shaped rhizome, and the long tongue-shaped leaves. The herb carries the dragon reference in many languages, for example, Dutch slangekruid "snake herb" and drakebloed "dragon's blood", Italian dragoncella "little dragon", French herbe dragonne and in Chinese long hao "dragon-mugwort".

Health Benefits

In medieval times the Doctrine of Signatures belief said that an herb's medicinal properties were reflected in its appearance. As a result tarragon was thought to cure snake bites, as well as ward off serpents and dragons! 

As a medicinal, tarragon has been shown to aid digestion and intestinal distension, alleviate nausea, fevers, flatulence and hiccups, and acts as a vermifuge. Its use as a remedy for toothache by the ancient Greeks has been proved by modern science as the herb contains an anesthetic chemical, eugenol, the same major constituent of anesthetic clove oil, which provides temporary pain relief.

Usage Tips

Tarragon works well with seafood, chicken, mushrooms, capers, and eggs, as well as cream and sour cream sauces; it is one of the key ingredients in the classic French sauces Bearnaise, Ravigote and Tartare.  

Fans of the herb call it one of the truly great herbs and will gush on about its wonders. For example one foodie wrote, "a dish of well-made scrambled eggs lightly laced with tarragon is a Divine gift".

To add flavour to roast chicken place fresh tarragon and peeled garlic inside the body of the bird prior to cooking. Try adding to a rice or pasta salad. 

Recipe

Scampi and Linguini Pasta with Scampi and Tarragon Cream

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