Published March 1, 2006. From Cook's Illustrated.
We were surprised by the differences among the brands we tested in an infusion of hot water. But what about in real food?
Dried oregano is one of a handful of dried herbs that we use frequently in the test kitchen. Does brand matter? To find out, we submitted several brands to a series of taste tests that included a quick tomato sauce, our Marinara Sauce, and plain cheese pizza (the oregano sprinkled right on top).
But before we did any cooking at all, we tasted each of them the way herb experts do, making infusions out of the dried herb in hot water. When our seasoned tasters sampled these "herbal teas," they expressed eloquent surprise at the pronounced differences among the first brand ("an aggressive bite"), the second ("subtly piney"), the third ("biting" and "tannic"), the fourth ("floral, with citrus notes"), and the other brands.
But the commentary turned much less precise ("not bad") once we moved on to real food. Even in the simpler applications—for instance, the quick tomato sauce—the nuances from brand to brand were mostly obliterated. Our recommendation? Unless you're serving oregano tea, any brand of dried oregano is fine. More important is making sure your herb container hasn't been sitting in the cupboard for longer than six months.
