Tarragon

Tarragon is a green plant.

It has long leaves. Some types grow very tall. They have thin branches.

Some tarragon has a strong smell. This smell is good for cooking. People use it in many foods.

One kind is called French tarragon. It is great for food. It does not make many seeds.

Another kind is called Russian tarragon. It can grow from seeds. It can grow over a meter tall.

Some people use the plant to make a green drink. It is a tasty herb.

It is fun to learn about.

Tarragon is a green plant used in cooking. Its scientific name means "little dragon." This name comes from its coiled roots.

There are different kinds of tarragon. French tarragon is best for food. It has a strong smell. It rarely makes seeds. People grow it by dividing the roots. Russian tarragon is a different kind. It can grow from seeds. It is a hardy plant. It can grow over one meter tall. It likes poor soil. It also handles dry weather well. This kind has a mild flavor.

Some people use tarragon to make a green drink. This drink is called Tarkhuna. It is made with sugar and bubbly water. In France, chefs use tarragon in many ways. It helps flavor chicken, fish, and eggs. It is also used in Béarnaise sauce.

The plant has a special smell like anise. This smell comes from a part called estragole. This part can turn into gas when leaves dry. Drying the leaves makes the herb easier to use. It also makes the health risk very small.

Dried tarragon leaves are used in many kitchens.

Tarragon is a special green herb used for cooking and medicine. Its scientific name is Artemisia dracunculus. This name actually means "little dragon." People believe it got this name because of its coiled roots.

This plant grows in many wild places. You can find it across Eurasia and North America. It belongs to a plant family called Asteraceae. Many people enjoy growing it in their own gardens.

There are different ways this plant grows and spreads. Some tarragon plants have rhizomatous roots. These roots help the plant spread and make new plants easily. French tarragon is a popular kind for cooking. It has slender branches and glossy green leaves. These leaves are long and broad. French tarragon rarely makes flowers or seeds. Because its flowers are sterile, gardeners grow it by dividing the roots.

Russian tarragon is another type of this herb. It is much stronger and hardier than the French kind. It can grow over one meter tall. This plant can live in poor soil and handle dry weather. You can grow Russian tarragon from seeds. Experts suggest growing these seeds indoors first. Then you can plant them in the summer. It has a milder flavor than French tarragon. Some people even use the young stems like asparagus.

People around the world use tarragon in many tasty ways. In France, it is one of the four "fines herbes." Chefs use it to flavor chicken, fish, and eggs. It is also the main part of Béarnaise sauce. In Georgia, people use it to make a green drink. This soda is called Tarkhuna. It uses sugar, bubbly water, and tarragon leaves. In Syria, people eat fresh tarragon with white cheese.

In Iran and Armenia, it is used in stews and pickles.

The plant has a very specific smell. It smells like anise, which is a sweet spice. This scent comes from a part called estragole. Fresh leaves have about 2900 mg/kg of estragole. This part is very volatile. That means it turns into a gas when the leaves dry. Drying the leaves makes the herb easier to use in a kitchen. It also makes the health risk from estragole very small.

Other herbs like basil also have this same scent.

Tarragon, scientifically known as Artemisia dracunculus, is a perennial herb within the Asteraceae family. This plant is found growing wild across much of North America and Eurasia. Humans cultivate it for two primary purposes: culinary use in cooking and medicinal applications. The species name, dracunculus, translates to "little dragon." This name likely comes from the plant's coiled roots.

The plant features slender branches and glossy green, lanceolate leaves. These leaves are long and broad with entire margins. Tarragon is highly valued for its unique aromatic profile, which many people compare to anise.

The plant's growth and reproduction depend on its specific subspecies. French tarragon, or Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa, is the variety most prized for cooking. It possesses a strong, characteristic aroma. However, French tarragon rarely produces flowers or seeds because its flowers are often sterile. To grow more of this variety, gardeners must use root division. This process involves splitting the rhizomatous roots to create new plants. These rhizomes allow the plant to spread and reproduce readily through the soil.

Russian tarragon, known as Artemisia dracunculoides L., offers a different growth pattern. Unlike the French variety, it is a very hardy and vigorous plant. It can grow over one meter tall and thrives even in poor soil or drought conditions. While it can be grown from seed, its flavor is much weaker than French tarragon. In fact, its flavor diminishes as the plant ages. Some people use the young stems in early spring as a substitute for asparagus. Horticulturists often recommend growing these seeds indoors before planting them in the summer.

Another variety is Mexican tarragon, or Tagetes lucida. Although it shares a name, it is not in the same genus as the others. It is also called Mexican mint marigold or Texas tarragon. This plant provides a robust flavor with a hint of anise. It is a better culinary substitute for Russian tarragon because its flavor stays strong as it ages. However, it cannot grow as a perennial in cold climates. This distinction makes it different from the more cold-tolerant Russian and French varieties.

The distinct aroma of tarragon comes from specific chemical compounds. One major component is estragole, which provides the anise-like scent. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry show that tarragon oil contains several phenylpropanoids. These include estragole at 16.2%, methyl eugenol at 35.8%, and trans-anethole at 21.1%. Other constituents include terpenes like limonene and alpha-pinene. The compound cis-pellitorin is also found in the plant and produces a pungent taste. Because these oils are highly volatile, they vaporize when the leaves are dried. This vaporization reduces the health risks associated with the oils and makes the herb easier to store.

Scientists have studied the safety of estragole carefully. In mice, estragole is known to be a carcinogen and a teratogen. Fresh leaves contain about 2900 mg/kg of this compound. However, an investigation by the European Union concluded that the actual danger to humans is minimal. Research on rat livers established a benchmark dose for a 10% increase in tumor rates. For a human weighing 80 kg, this would be roughly 400 mg of estragole per day. Since a typical culinary serving is only about 5 g of fresh leaves, the amount consumed is very low.

Tarragon has deep roots in many global cuisines. In French cooking, it is one of the four "fines herbes." It is a key ingredient in Béarnaise sauce and pairs well with fish, chicken, and eggs. In Georgia, it is used in the dish Chakapuli and to make a green soda called Tarkhuna. This drink is made from sugar, carbonated water, and tarragon leaves. In Syria, fresh leaves are eaten with white cheese. In Iran and Armenia, tarragon is used in stews and various pickles, such as khiar shoor. This variety of uses shows how central this aromatic herb is to many different cultures.