Tarragon is a herb with three main types: Russian, French, and Mexican. It is often used in traditional blends of herbs and sauces, such as Herbes de Provence and Béarnaise sauce. The French type must be grown from a root, while Mexican tarragon is used in winter when other types are hard to find.
Tarragon is a Eurasian herb of the Aster family and its name can be pronounced /TEHR uh gawn/ or /TEHR uh guhn/. The English name comes from the French estragon, meaning little dragon. People have speculated that the name either referred to the shape of the twisted roots, or that it had a connection to beasts at one time, being thought to cure bites and stings from both mad dogs and other venomous creatures.
There are three basic types of this herb: Russian, German or French, and Mexican. Russian and French tarragon are actually varieties of the same plant: Artemisia dracunculus var. odorless and var. sativas respectively. Mexican tarragon, also known by various other names, such as Mexican mint tagetes, is tagetes lucidum. The Russian variety is known to be more bitter, while the French tarragon is described as sweeter and more anise-like. The French type must be grown from a root: it cannot be grown from seed. Mexican tarragon, with a similar flavor to French, is used in the winter when other types are hard to find.
Some of tarragon’s best-known uses group it with other herbs. Herbes de Provence, a traditional blend of herbs from southern France, does not have a unique recipe, but tarragon is one of the spices often included along with bay leaf, chervil, fennel, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, summer savory, and thyme. Likewise, it is a regular component of the fine herbs, a traditional blend of finely chopped fresh herbs, which also includes a combination of herbs such as chervil, chives, dill, lovage, parsley and thyme. Tarragon can also be added to rémoulade, a mayonnaise-based sauce characterized by the inclusion of minced gherkin pickles and capers and served with cold meat or fish.
The use of tarragon is also known in vinegar and Béarnaise sauce, a sauce made from egg yolks, butter, vinegar, wine and shallots and used for eggs, fish, meat and vegetables. Also, although not traditional, this herb can be found in bouquet garni, sprigs of herbs tied in cheesecloth and added to soups or stews as they cook, and which traditionally includes a bay leaf, parsley, thyme.
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