Tarragon

Tarragon (Artemisia spp) is a perennial aromatic herb with long, narrow soft green leaves. It has a sweet peppery flavour with taste reminiscent of anise. There are a number of varieties of tarragon, with French tarragon and Russian tarragon being the most commonly used.

French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is the most aromatic and flavourful cultivar and is the most suitable for culinary purposes. It tastes sweetly of vanilla and aniseed, and goes particularly well with steak and chicken dishes and also with recipes containing egg, cream or cheese. It is also excellent in potato salads and green salads and with cold trout or salmon. The leaves are also a popular flavouring for white wine vinegar, which can be used in salad dressings and in mayonnaise for potato salad. French tarragon is an essential ingredient in béarnaise sauce and for the herb mixture the French call fines herbes. It may also be combined with parsley, thyme, bay leaves, marjoram, rosemary, or savory to create bouquet garni.

Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculoides) has a dull and disappointing flavour when compared to French tarragon, lacking its sweet scent and flavour. However, its young leaves may be used in salads, and its stems used as a tasty asparagus substitute.

Tarragon has an intense flavour and so should be used quite sparingly when adding to dishes. It is at its best when fresh, although it may also be sold in dried form. As it loses much of it flavour when dried, it is usually a good idea to crush the dried leaves slightly before adding it to recipes in order to release some of the flavour.

Fresh tarragon may be stored in the fridge for up to a week; simply wrap it in a paper towel and place in a plastic bag. Dried tarragon should be kept in an airtight container in a cool dry place, away from direct light.