The botanical name of tarragon in form

the Latin word is 'dracunculus' (little dragon).

The other German names are also reminiscent of this

such as snakeweed, little dragon or dragon mugwort.

In addition, he is also under the name Eierkraut, Kaiserkraut and

Bertram known.

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Description:

The perennial plant is up to 1.50 meters high. It has strong, light green and richly branched, upright stems and narrow, lanceolate leaves. It belongs to the sunflower family and is a relative of mugwort and wormwood.

The leaves are used, these are often harvested together with the stem and offered that way.

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There are two different types of tarragon:

On the one hand there is the German tarragon (or French tarragon), which is sensitive, hardly blooms in our latitudes and can only be increased by dividing it.

On the other hand, there is the more undemanding and resilient Russian tarragon (or Siberian tarragon), which is less aromatic, but in the  can be cultivated much easier in cold climates and is therefore preferred in nurseries.

Harvest time

German tarragon:  June to August

Russian tarragon: May-October

Offer forms

Fresh leaves bundled, rubbed or ground or in a potty, dried leaves, leaves pickled in vinegar, frozen, as oil

ingredients
Tarragon contains essential oils (phellandren, estragole) as well as tannins and bitter substances.

The Russian tarragon lacks the tarragole, so it does not have the pleasant, sweet one  The aroma of German tarragon has flavonoids (quercetin, patuletin) instead, which create a tart, astringent taste.

Taste and smell

The taste is aromatic and sweet to anise-like. It is reminiscent of fennel, anise or liquorice.
Russian tarragon is almost odorless and can taste slightly bitter, especially older parts of the plant.

Cooking and kitchen use with typical dishes

Broths: veal and chicken broth

Soups: poultry cream soup, herbal cream soup, possibly in herb patties

Salad: Wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar, vinaigrette, with fish, meat and potato salad, green salad, tomato, eggplant and courgette salad

Meat: for light-colored, tender stewed meat, e.g. rabbit, veal, roast chicken that is filled with tarragon, turkey escalope, poached or fried chicken breast

Fish: baked (e.g. trout, which is filled with 2 twigs each of tarragon and parsley and beaten in aluminum foil)

steamed (in the stock of shallot, white wine, parsley and pepper and tarragon; a cream sauce made from the boiled-down stock and seasoned with tarragon tastes good). Possibly with cod, pikeperch, crabs, crayfish, scallops

Sauce: Frankfurt green sauce, juliette sauce for poultry, tartar sauce, classic herb butter, Bern sauce, tartare sauce, mustard sauce, tarragon mustard

Vegetables: porcini mushrooms, cucumber, fennel, asparagus, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, cauliflower

Other: belongs to the fines herbes, the fine herbal mixture from the old classic French cuisine; As part of marinades for fish and meat for pickling cucumbers, pumpkins and other pickled vegetables

Use within dietetics

Since a medical efficacy has not been proven and due to the risks posed by the estragole contained, a therapeutic use of tarragon cannot be justified. It is assumed that the estragole contained is carcinogenic and mutagenic for humans and that its consumption should therefore be restricted to kitchen preparation.

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