Tarragon - what is it? Properties and use of tarragon

Asking about tarragon - what it is, people are far from being aware that under this intricate word everyone means the famous tarhun - a fragrant and tasty spice, used for a long time for culinary and medical purposes.

This perennial plant, growing to a height of more than 1 m, has a branched stem and elongated dark green leaves. The root is quite dense and woody, with flowering characteristic of a golden-yellow hue of flowers, resembling a basket. The plant blooms in July and August, after which it gives smooth brown seeds.

Origins of tarragon

Let's talk about where the tarragon originated from. What is it, our ancestors knew. This plant is one of the most popular in cooking. Its name comes from the Latin word drago, which means "really". Most likely, it was invented proceeding from the appearance of the root of the tarragon, which is very similar to the reptile.

Other names of this plant are also common: tarragon and tarragon wormwood. The birthplace of the tarragon can rightly be called Asia. As a cultivated plant used for food, tarragon is grown in the Caucasus, in India and in central parts of Russia, applying it in cooking in fresh and dried form. The taste and smell of the plant is very fragrant and fragrant with subtle notes of anise, thanks to the essential oils that make up the tarragon.

It is necessary to know what the tarragon looks like. What is this plant, whose appearance resembles wormwood, the herbalists know for sure. After all, it is very common not only in cooking, but also in medicine. Even in ancient times, the ancestors used it as a drug, cleansing blood vessels, helping with disorders and stomach diseases, menstrual and dental pains and increasing appetite.

The use of tarragon

The plant has become widely used as a spice in the preparation of various dishes and salads. A variety of omelettes, lemon and oxalic sauces, steaks, cauliflower, beef stroganoff, zucchini and tomatoes during cooking can not do without the addition of tarragon. Vegetable dishes, dishes from fish, meat, game, beans and potatoes are also prepared using this spicy spice. Kazakh and Azerbaijani culinary specialists often put spices in their national dishes, adding tarragon to manty, pilaf and other food. Its application is listed in the recipes of housewives engaged in harvesting for the winter, for example, they put spices in pickles and tomatoes, sauerkraut and apples. In the production of alcoholic beverages, several drops of tarragon are added to the solution.

Application of a plant in medicine

For medicinal purposes tincture of tarhun is recommended for drinking to improve the work of the stomach, digestive system, gastritis and bloating, to increase appetite and promote health. With external diseases of the oral cavity a solution is prepared on the basis of the plant, and with eczema and dermatitis a special ointment is mixed, which has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. It is prepared on the basis of butter mixed with powder, the bulk of which is tarragon. The application takes place as necessary, and the finished product is stored in the refrigerator with the lid closed.

The use of tarragon in the preparation of various dishes

What to prepare using tarragon? Recipes for making drinks, food and treats with the addition of this herb are diverse and are present in almost every modern kitchen. It is very common to drink a tarthun with the same name, which is prepared from fresh herbs, several lemons, sugar and water. All ingredients are washed, cut and brought to a boil with the addition of 1 liter of water, after which the drink is completely cooled. After filtering it is put in the refrigerator and served to the table in a refrigerated state.

The dry leaves of tarragon smell much less than fresh greenery, so it should be stored in a dry and dark place in a glass container with a tightly closed lid. To add tarhun should be in the ready dish, because as heat treatment all its useful properties and smell are lost.

Tarragon: medicinal properties

Since ancient times, this plant is famous not only for its taste and spicy properties, but also for a large number of vitamins and trace elements, useful for human health. Tarragon per quarter consists of proteins and almost half - of carbohydrates. All useful elements are not only in stems and leaves, but also in bitter oil, which is very useful and has a unique smell.

Dried tarragon is quite useful, however, fresh greens have a much larger range of vitamins and minerals: A, C, PP, B1, iron, calcium, iodine and phosphorus. In addition, unsaturated and saturated fats, ascorbic acid, essential oils, carotene and coumarins - all this has a tarragon, the properties of which are very diverse. The invigorating characteristics of the plant brought him the greatest glory: many tonic drinks are prepared from it. Tarragon well invigorates, raises mood and raises working capacity.

Useful properties of tarragon

Useful properties of tarragon include the following:

• It is useful not only because it is pleasant to taste and has a unique aroma, but also because it contains a large amount of vitamin C, which has a beneficial effect on the human body, strengthening the immune system.
• Used as a remedy against the fight against worms, which has a diuretic and restorative effect.
• Eliminates the signs of insomnia, depression and nervousness.
• Promotes increased sexual desire, increases male potency.
• It is used in the treatment of bronchial pathways, lungs, pneumonia, tuberculosis, facilitates headache and toothache.
• Normalizes blood pressure, has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

According to dieticians, tarragon can be included in the diet, replacing them with salt. It will not only impart a unique flavor to the dish, but also extract excess water from the body, which contributes to rapid weight loss. Using tarragon in food during a diet, you can not only lose weight, but also cleanse the stomach of parasites, normalize fat metabolism and cholesterol level in the blood, increase immunity and resistance of the body to various colds, viral and infectious diseases.

Contraindications of tarragon

What can be harmful tarragon? Its contra-indications apply not only to pregnant women, to use a plant which is strictly forbidden, therefore as it can provoke miscarriage, but also on epileptics. Use tarhun should be rather cautious, because it belongs to the group of toxic spices. After prolonged use of the product, hallucinations, dizziness, spasms, nervous disorders, depression and convulsions may occur, so it should be consumed for no more than 1 month, and you should consult your doctor first. If the medicinal purposes of the child was prescribed tarragon oil, it should be diluted with water, since it can damage tarragon. Useful properties and contraindications to it in more detail can describe your attending physician.

Tarragon in folk medicine

In the people tarragon (tarhun) has long been popular in the treatment of a large number of diseases. In dry form, the plant is used for cooking tinctures, ointments and powders. It is very common tea from tarragon, which increases immunity and eliminates the symptoms of insomnia, weakness and malaise. To combat varicose veins, a compress is made on the basis of tarhuna and kefir, after which it is applied to the affected areas. The main rule in the application of tarhuna in folk medicine and self-medication is compliance with dosage.

How to grow tarragon at home?

Deciding to grow such a useful culture in the suburban area or even on the windowsill, it is first necessary to buy tarragon seeds. The market offers a wide range of different varieties from different manufacturers, so finding tarhun today is quite simple. In spring, this perennial plant quickly gives shoots and can grow in one place for up to 10 years in a row, but the most useful tarragon is considered throughout the first few years. Reproduction of the plant occurs in several ways: by sowing seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings.

Tarragon seeds are small enough and flat, it is recommended to plant them on seedlings at the end of winter or early spring. By the end of April, the uplifted shoots are planted in an open ground, in which they are well enough and without special attention take root. The plant is unpretentious to the soil, it grows well both in the shade and in the sun. To water it is necessary approximately once in 10 days. In spring, it should be poured into the soil, in which tarragon, several kilograms of humus and a small amount of ash as fertilizer will ascend.

For the entire summer period, tarragon should be cut from 3 to 5 times, and the height of the cut should not exceed 15 cm. The more often the leaves are cut off, the more the bush grows more luxuriant.

How to dry tarragon?

After the final cutting of the bush, the tarragon is dried and harvested for the winter. For drying, the top of the plant is cut with the leaves before it blooms. Leaves are separated from the stems and finely chopped. It should be remembered, tarragon drying, that it is a plant, the smell of which quickly gives way to weathering. Dry it in several ways: with the help of a dryer for herbs, because this process should be fast, and the temperature should not exceed 35 degrees Celsius, or by hanging the bundled in a dark and dry place at low temperatures, without contact with direct sunlight. Otherwise, the seasoning will lose all its flavor, and the leaves will turn a brown color.

In conclusion, it should be noted that tarragon, the benefit of which is obvious, is not only a fragrant and tasty spice, but also an extremely useful plant that is indispensable in the kitchen and in the medicine cabinet of many housewives.