Are you living in France? If yes, then you would know all the best cuisines of France. You must be knowing that Tarragon is the “King of Herbs”. It is widely cultivated and popular in France. It is mostly used for a digestive tonic, garnishing, and seasoning. There are so many herbs you can use as a dried and fresh Tarragon substitute.
First, You have to know what kind of herb is Tarragon. It would be easy to choose the best substitute for your dish/recipe when you got to know about Tarragon.
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What is Tarragon Exactly?
Tarragon is a herb that is grown on the ground. It is used for making medicine, as a seasoning, and for garnishing. It is also known as Mugwort. It belongs to the Artemesia genus. Its leaves are thin and pointed at the end. Tarragon has lots of health benefits. Let’s know the health benefits of Tarragon first.
Health Benefits of Tarragon:
Nutrient Profile of Tarragon:
- Calories: 5
- Carbs: 1 gram
- Manganese: 7% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
- Iron: 3% of the RDI
- Potassium: 2% of the RDI
Health Benefits of Tarragon:
- Tarragon helps to decrease blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity.
- It also helps to improve irregular patterns of sleep.
- It has some antibacterial properties.
- It may also relieve pain and helps to increase appetite.
What can I Substitute for Tarragon?
As we know that it would not be right to say that you can’t cook your recipe/dish without Tarragon because there are lots of Tarragon substitutes available. All these tarragon substitutes give the almost same taste as Tarragon. Let’s explore the best substitutes for Tarragon for you.
1. Oregano:
Oregano is also a medical herb like Tarragon. It is mainly used for seasoning and added to meats and sauces to enhance the flavor. When your recipe/dish calls for dried Tarragon, you can use Oregano as a substitute. You can use the same amount of Oregano as the Tarragon. If you have some allergy to the Lamiaceae plant, then you should avoid using Oregano because it belongs to this plant family.
2. Dried Tarragon:
Dried Tarragon gives a different flavor than fresh Tarragon. It may change the taste of your whole recipe. The aroma and taste of the dried Tarragon are stronger than the fresh one. Dried Tarragon is easy to available in your nearby grocery store. You should use one teaspoon of dried Tarragon to one tablespoon of fresh Tarragon to balance the taste. When dried Tarragon is used with some other herbs like thyme, shallots, and basil, it gives an unforgettable flavor to the dish/recipe. Lots of béarnaise sauce recipe includes dried Tarragon than Fresh one. This can be the best Tarragon replacement for your recipe/dish.
3. French Tarragon:
French Tarragon is mostly grown in the temperature region. It gives a unique experience in cooking recipes/dishes than the normal Tarragon. The height of the French Tarragon is 24 inches and its leaves are 2 inches long. It is recognizable because its leaves are greener than the other two types of Tarragon. You can see the tiny pale green flowers of the French Tarragon, but you can’t plant them as it is. You have to divide its root to cultivate it.
4. Dill:
Dill is really easy to available in your nearby grocery stores. This herb goes well with the salad recipe and with some egg recipes too. It may belong to the Celery family, but it is one of the best substitutes for Tarragon. Dill and Tarragon give similar flavors to each other. Dill may give you a strong bitter taste to your dish/recipe if you don’t control the amount of Dill you use. For the fish recipe, it would be the best herb ever.
5. Marjoram:
The Greek meaning of Marjoram is “joy of the mountain.” It is known for its sweet nature. It has a licorice flavor which makes it a good alternative to Tarragon. Once you eat the Marjoram and discover its flavor, you would like it more than Tarragon. It is easy to grow Marjoram as the other herbs. Marjoram has some hits of citrus and you can feel coolness like mint. Its aroma is nice and you can use it in the same amount of Tarragon.
6. Tagetes/Mexican Tarragon:
Mexican Tarragon is also known as the Mexican Mint Marigold. It has long leaves than the French Tarragon which is 3 inches long. The height of the Mexican Tarragon reaches up to 35 inches. Its leaves are shiny green and have yellow flower heads. If you find both Mexican and French Tarragon together in the market, its flower head would be the recognizable part. You can use its flowers to make some special recipes.
7. Basil:
Basil has various types like holy basil, lemon basil, Thai basil, and sweet basil. It may be familiar to you because of the different types available. It is a flexible substitute. Basil cannot be a substitute for only one herb. It has some sweet flavor that you might be added to your recipes. When your recipe call for dried or fresh Tarragon, you can use Basil as a Tarragon substitute. You should know that the flavor of basil can be stronger than Tarragon.
8. Rosemary:
This is another popular herb that is found in stores easily. It can be found in two states dried and fresh. The dried one has a strong and pungent flavor, while the fresh rosemary has a subtler taste. It is used in salads, soups, and some baking vegetables as well as for meat recipes. It is helpful to cure colds and headaches when using rosemary to make a cup of tea.
9. Fennel:
Fennel seeds are similar in aroma to anise seeds. You can use fennel seeds for sweet dishes because it gives a sweet flavor. It has so many medical uses and health benefits. The most popular benefit of fennel seed is related to mothers who do breastfeeding because it improves the secretion of breast milk. When your recipe call for dried Tarragon, you can use Fennel seeds. Otherwise, you can use the Fennel plant in your recipe as a replacement for fresh Tarragon.
10. Russian Tarragon:
Russian Tarragon is hard and planted in dry regions so you don’t need to spend much time caring about it. It is similar to the French Tarragon. When you compare the Russian Tarragon to the French one, you would find that the Russian tarragon’s leaves are longer, narrower, and coarser than the French Tarragon.
11. Anise:
Anise could be a mixture of Tarragon and Fennel. It has the same licorice flavor. It’s a perfect ingredient for those who want a deeper taste profile with a little bit of sweet and spicy flavor. When your recipe/dish calls for dried Tarragon, you can use a pinch of anise seed that gives the same effect of flavor as a tablespoon of dried Tarragon.
12. Chervil:
Chervil is a small herb. Its flavor has the same flavor as Tarragon and parsley. It would be a little more difficult to find easily in American stores. You may have tasted it before in some European or French dishes/recipes. It would be a different and unique experience for your tongue to use chervil as a Tarragon substitute. You should use parsley with chervil to get the exact taste of Tarragon.
13. Thyme:
Thyme could be a fashionable herb in our civilization, but it is originated so much before that. Thyme plant only grows to a maximum height of 12 inches. It has a recognizable pungent aroma. Romans used it for their bathing because they are addicted to its smell. It was used for purifying the rooms and to give an aromatic flavor to cheese and liquor. Now, it is used for making various types of oils. It is a great antiseptic disinfectant. Thyme can also be used as a Tarragon substitute for baked recipes like cornbread.
14. Angelica:
Angelica is not easy to find Angelica in your normal grocery stores. It gives you a deeper flavor when cooked with poultry, fish, soups, and stews. You can use 1 teaspoon of angelica to 1 teaspoon of Tarragon. Angelica is a little bit bitter in taste with some pretty sweet aroma with a hint of licorice and celery. You can not use all parts of angelica for cooking. Only seeds and roots are responsible to give flavor to your dishes except for the leaves.
15. Parsley and Cinnamon:
The mixture of fresh parsley and cinnamon can be a good alternative to Tarragon. If you are making béarnaise sauce which pairs with poached eggs, steak, or seafood, would be a great replacement for the Tarragon with a mixture of fresh Parsley and Cinnamon. It would give the bitter and sweet taste of Tarragon. You can also make herb tea by boiling some fresh parsley with cinnamon to get a similar flavor to the Tarragon.
16. Fines Herbs:
Fines Herbs is a common herbal mixture of different kinds of herbs. French people use this mixture of earthy herbs in place of only Tarragon. It helps to promote the natural flavor of a dish like chicken and seafood. Some side courses such as a cream bisque are highlighted with this French herbal mixture.
FAQ:
What tarragon tastes like?
Tarragon has a pungent, bittersweet flavor that compares to licorice, anise, and fennel. The presence of methyl chavicol gives a distinct licorice-like taste and fragrance.
Does tarragon have side effects?
The essential oil present in tarragon might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Using its essential oil along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.
Now, you know the best Substitute for Tarragon. You can choose according to what you have in the kitchen or you can also buy from amazon. Please! comment down below your questions, and let us know how much informative is this article for you. 🙂
