Photo: Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Oregano

Origanum vulgare

“Joy of the mountains”: a wild Mediterranean herb with purple bracts and one of the strongest oils there is.

Family: Mint family (Lamiaceae)
Oil from: Aerial parts

What it looks like

A perennial 30–80 cm tall with branched, reddish stems and oval, opposite leaves. In summer small pink to purple flowers gather in clusters among purple-tinged bracts.

Greek oregano (subspecies hirtum) has white flowers and is especially rich in aromatic oil.

Where it grows

Oregano grows wild on dry, sunny, rocky slopes across Europe and the Mediterranean. In Cyprus a local species, Origanum dubium, grows on the hillsides — the rigani of Cypriot cooking.

What the oil is made of

Main constituents of the essential oil and their molecular formulas. Shares vary with harvest, origin and distillation.

C₁₀H₁₄OCarvacrol
C₁₀H₁₄p-Cymene

How it may help

Traditional use

Oregano is the herb of Greek and Cypriot cooking — from village salad to souvla. There is no EMA monograph for oregano oil.

What research says

Carvacrol, the main compound of the oil, shows strong antimicrobial activity in the laboratory; a 2020 review summarises this work. Good clinical studies in people are lacking.

For information only. This is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor. Essential oils are not medicines and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

How to use

Kitchen
The EU label allows this oil as a food flavouring: no more than 1 drop a day, always mixed into food or drink. It is very strong — dip a toothpick into the bottle and stir it in instead of adding a whole drop. Mix it into olive oil for a salad dressing or a pizza sauce.
Kitchen
The plant itself: dried rigani over tomatoes, feta, grilled meat and potatoes.

Safety

From the EU label: use only diluted, no more than one drop a day. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant or under medical care, ask your doctor. Keep away from the eyes and mucous membranes.

Oregano oil is one of the most irritating essential oils — never use it undiluted, on the skin or in the mouth.