Artemisia dracunculus (French tarragon)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Asterids > Euasterid II > Family: Asteraceae > Tribe: Anthemideae > Genus: Artemisia

Native to Eurasia. It is a very important cullinary herb in French cooking and is one of the four ingredients in fines herbes (the other three being parsley, chervil and chives). It is added to white wine vinegar to produce tarragon vinegar, which is used in salads, sauces, pickles and with fish. Fresh leaves are used to flavour meat, chicken and egg dishes, as well as sauces (including béarnaise, hollandaise and tartare).

Publications

• van Wyk, B.-E. 2005. Food Plants of the World - Identification, Culinary Uses and Nutritional Value. Briza, Pretoria.