Tarragon

In Syria, fresh tarragon is eaten with white Syrian cheese, and also used with dishes such as shish barak and kibbeh labaniyeh. In Iran and Armenia, tarragon is used as a side dish in sabzi khordan/kanachi (fresh herbs), or in stews and Persian or Armenian-style pickles (t‘tu), particularly khiar shoor (pickled cucumbers) and other pickled vegetables or fruits. Tarragon is one of the four fines herbes of French cooking and is particularly suitable for chicken, fish, and egg dishes. Tarragon is the main flavoring component of Béarnaise sauce. Fresh, lightly bruised tarragon sprigs are steeped in vinegar to produce tarragon vinegar. Pounded with butter, it produces an excellent topping for grilled salmon or beef. Tarragon is used to flavor a popular carbonated soft drink in Armenia, Russia, Georgia (where it originally comes from), and, by extension, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The drink, named Tarkhuna, is made out of sugar, carbonated water, and tarragon leaves which give it its signature green color. Tarragon is one of the ingredients in chakapuli, a Georgian dish.

French tarragon is the variety used for cooking in the kitchen and is not grown from seed, as the flowers are sterile; instead, it is propagated by root division. Russian tarragon (A. dracunculoides L.) can be grown from seed but is much weaker in flavor when compared to the French variety. However, Russian tarragon is a far more hardy and vigorous plant, spreading at the roots and growing over a meter tall. This tarragon actually prefers poor soils and happily tolerates drought and neglect. It is not as intensely aromatic and flavorsome as its French cousin, but it produces many more leaves from early spring onwards that are mild and good in salads and cooked food. Russian tarragon loses what flavor it has as it ages and is widely considered useless as a culinary herb, though it is sometimes used in crafts. The young stems in early spring can be cooked as an asparagus substitute. Horticulturists recommend that Russian tarragon be grown indoors from seed and planted in summer. The spreading plants can be divided easily. A better substitute for Russian tarragon is Mexican tarragon (Tagetes lucida), also known as Mexican mint marigold, Texas tarragon, or winter tarragon. It is much more reminiscent of French tarragon, with a hint of anise. …