This article is about leaves and oils of the thyme plant. For the genus of thyme plants, seeThymus (plant). For the active ingredient in thyme oil, seeThymol. For other uses, seeThyme (disambiguation).
Thyme (/taɪm/) is aculinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genusThymus offlowering plants in the mint familyLamiaceae. Thymes are native toEurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medicinal, and ornamental uses. The species most commonly cultivated and used for culinary purposes isThymus vulgaris, native to Southeast Europe.
The spread of thyme throughout Europe was thought to be due to theRomans, as they used it to purify their rooms and to "give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs".[2] In the EuropeanMiddle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares.[3] In this period, women also often gaveknights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves, as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thyme was also used as incense and placed oncoffins duringfunerals, as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.[4]
Thyme is best cultivated in a hot, sunny location with well-drained soil. It is generally planted in the spring, and thereafter grows as aperennial. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings, or dividing rooted sections of the plant. It tolerates drought well.[6] It can be pruned after flowering to keep from getting woody.[7]
Thyme is sold both fresh and dried. While summer-seasonal, fresh greenhouse thyme is often available year-round. The fresh form is more flavourful but also less convenient; storage life is rarely more than a week. However, the fresh form can last many months if carefully frozen,[10] and thyme retains its flavour on drying better than many other herbs.[11]
Fresh thyme is commonly sold in bunches of sprigs. A sprig is a single stem snipped from the plant.[12] It is composed of a woody stem with paired leaf or flower clusters ("leaves") spaced 15 to 25 millimetres (1⁄2 to 1 inch) apart. A recipe may measure thyme by the bunch (or fraction thereof), or by the sprig, or by the tablespoon or teaspoon. Dried thyme is widely used in Armenia intisanes.[13]
Depending on how it is used in a dish, the whole sprig may be used, or the leaves removed and the stems discarded. Usually, when a recipe mentions a bunch or sprig, it means the whole form; when it mentions spoons, it means the leaves. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute dried for whole thyme. Leaves may be removed from stems either by scraping with the back of a knife, or by pulling through the fingers or tines of a fork.
In Moroccan tradition, dried figs[14] are elevated with the infusion of minty leaves. After softening in a couscous pot, the figs are rested with additional minty leaves before being sprinkled with thyme for a delightful flavor enhancement and preservation in sealed containers.
Thymol is the principal aromatic component of thyme.
The chemical composition ofThymus (thyme) includes a variety of essential oils, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenes, and other compounds. The essential oils found in thyme includethymol, which is a major component responsible for the plant's antiseptic properties, and carvacrol, another primary component with similar functions. Other essential oils present are p-cymene, γ-terpinene, linalool, and 1,8-cineole.Gas chromatographic analysis reveals that the most abundantvolatile component of thyme leaves isthymol, at 8.55mg/g. Other components arecarvacrol,linalool,α-terpineol, and 1,8-cineole.[15]
Some of these compounds have beneficial properties. In particular, thymol has been historically used as anantibiotic andantiseptic, especially in traditional medicine.[16] Oil of thyme, theessential oil of common thyme, contains 20–54% thymol.[17] Thymol is an active ingredient in various commercially producedmouthwashes, such asListerine.[18]
Flavonoids in thyme include luteolin-7-O-glucoside,[19] a glycoside known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as apigenin, quercetin, and kaempferol. Phenolic acids such as rosmarinic acid,[19] which is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, along with caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, are also present in thyme.
Triterpenes, such as oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, are part of thyme's composition, contributing to its overall health benefits. Additionally, thyme contains tannins, which contribute to its astringent properties, as well as saponins and other minor compounds.
Thymus praecox (mother of thyme, wild thyme), is cultivated as an ornamental, but is inIceland also gathered as a wild herb for cooking, and drunk as a warminfusion.
Thymus serpyllum (wild thyme, creeping thyme) is an importantnectar source plant forhoneybees. All thyme species are nectar sources, but wild thyme covers large areas of droughty, rocky soils in southern Europe (bothGreece and Malta are especially famous for wild thyme honey) and North Africa, as well as in similar landscapes in theBerkshire andCatskill Mountains of the northeastern US. The lowest growing of the widely used thyme is good for walkways. It is also an important caterpillar food plant for large and common blue butterflies.[22]
Thymus vulgaris (common thyme, English thyme, summer thyme, winter thyme, French thyme,[23] or garden thyme)[24] is a commonly usedculinary herb. It also has medicinal uses. Common thyme is aMediterranean perennial which is best suited to well-drained soils and full sun.
^Grieve, Mrs. Maud."Thyme. A Modern Herbal".botanical.com (Hypertext version of the 1931 ed.).Archived from the original on February 23, 2011. RetrievedFebruary 9, 2008.
^Huxley, A., ed. (1992).New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
^"Thyme (thymus)".englishplants.co.uk. The English Cottage Garden Nursery.Archived from the original on 2006-09-27.
^Noramine, Khalil (September 16, 2023).Medicinal and Edible Plants of Morocco. Independently published. pp. 31–32.ISBN979-8860829343.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
^Lee, Seung-Joo; Umano, Katumi; Shibamoto, Takayuki; Lee, Kwang-Geun (2005). "Identification of Volatile Components in Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and Thyme Leaves (Thymus vulgaris L.) and Their Antioxidant Properties".Food Chemistry.91:131–137.doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.05.056.
S. S. Tawfik, M. I. Abbady, Ahmed M. Zahran and A. M. K. Abouelalla. Therapeutic Efficacy Attained with Thyme Essential Oil Supplementation Throughout γ-irradiated Rats. Egypt. J. Rad. Sci. Applic., 19(1): 1–22 (2006).
