Thyme
Ordubad thyme with rose and lemon scents: its composition and its place in the kitchen and at the tea table.
Thyme is a genus of plants in the mint family; it grows 20–35 centimetres tall, and there are nearly 400 species worldwide. In Azerbaijan it is widespread in mountain and foothill districts. The green aerial part is gathered when the plant flowers or shortly before.
Some species give off a fruity or floral scent. Rose- and lemon-scented thyme holds a special place in Ordubad cuisine as a favourite spice; this species is found almost exclusively in certain parts of the autonomous republic.
The main substance behind thyme's scent is its essential oil, present at 0.5–1%; it contains aromatic compounds such as thymol, carvacrol and borneol. The plant is dried in the shade.
Thyme tea is much loved in Azerbaijan. Thyme is used in cooking, especially in preserving, as well as in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. In folk medicine, its infusion is drunk for colds and coughs and used as a gargle for the throat.
Caution: thyme is not recommended for pregnant women or for people with heart failure or acute kidney and liver diseases. Consult a doctor before using it for medicinal purposes.
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