Herb
Sweet Marjoram
A tier
Sweet marjoram is the tender, knotted-bud Origanum majorana—softer, sweeter, and less peppery than oregano, with a floral-pine perfume essential to sausages, poultry, and mild tomato sauces. Leaves are small and grey-green; plants dislike hard frost. The default when a recipe says marjoram. Add late in cooking; long heat flattens its delicacy compared with oregano.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
DriedFreshPoultrySauce FinishSausage
Traits
Culinary DefaultFloral SavouryMildMilder Than OreganoSweetSweet FloralTender Annual Habit
History
GR
Mediterranean cooks prized sweet marjoram as a gentle savoury distinct from wild oreganos.
GB
English kitchen gardens grew sweet marjoram for pottage and meat.
Dried sweet marjoram became a standard sausage and poultry herb.
Fresh pot marjoram filled supermarkets beside oregano.