Oregano
Dried oregano is louder than fresh. A single teaspoon can carry a whole pot of tomato sauce, and this cut-and-sifted version gives you the flavor without the woody stems.
What It Is
Cut and sifted means the leaves are chopped and screened, so what you get is mostly leaf, not stem. That matters because the stems hold little flavor and a lot of texture you do not want in your food.
Oregano grows wild around the Mediterranean and is foundational to Italian, Greek, and Mexican cooking. Drying concentrates its oils, which is why dried oregano works better than fresh in long-cooked dishes. Fancy grade just means a higher ratio of leaf to stem and other plant material.
What To Do
Crumble it between your fingers before it goes into the pan; breaking the leaf open releases the oils. Use it early in tomato sauces, braises, and soups so the heat has time to pull out the flavor. A half teaspoon per pound of ground beef is a good starting point for tacos or a meat sauce.
It also works uncooked: whisk it into a vinaigrette, mix it into a marinade, or stir it into olive oil for dipping bread. Store it away from the stove in a sealed container, and it will hold its punch for about a year.
