Tarragon – ingredients, effects and application

Tarragon is used as a spice because of its sweet-tart taste, which is reminiscent of aniseed. The herb probably also found its way into the kitchen because it stimulates digestion and relieves stomach problems.

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Artemisia dracunculus
• Common names: outdated Dragon / Dragun, Bertram, hermaphrodite, egg herb, emperor’s lettuce
• Family: Asteraceae (Asteraceae)
• Distribution: Originally from Central Asia to Siberia, introduced as a cultivated plant in Arabia and Central Europe, today also in the Americas and South Asia.
• Plant parts used: The herb (the above-ground parts)
• Ingredients: Essential oils, asparagine, carvone, estragole, beta-sitosterol, eugenol, limonene, menthol, phytosterols, salicylic acid, thujone, umbelliferone, tannins, bitter substances, glutamic acid, flavonoids, minerals and trace elements (potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, iodine , zinc), vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin C), ocimene, terpineol, estragole, anethole, quercetin, palutenin. Russian tarragon provides sabinene and elemicin as well as ocimene and eugenol derivatives.
• Areas of application: toothache, cough, nausea, nervousness/stress, stomach and intestinal problems

Tarragon – An Overview

• Tarragon is named after the Latin word “Dracunculus”, which means “little dragon”. Perhaps the name comes from the fact that the narrow, tapered leaves are reminiscent of a lizard’s tail.
• As an aster family, tarragon is related to dandelion and chamomile. Wormwood, mugwort and boar’s rue are even closer to it than plants of the same genus.
• Certain ingredients are typical of the Artemisia genus, which is why some of the healing effects of tarragon are similar to those of the related wormwood and mugwort.
• Tarragon leaves taste aromatic and are reminiscent of aniseed. They are dried in artificial heat and circulating air to preserve the flavor and deep green color.
• Tarragon goes well with salads, soups, dips and herb butter, flavors oil, vinegar and mustard and is a classic spice for pickling cucumbers.
• Since tarragon comes from regions with cold winters, it thrives best outdoors in this country.
• Tarragon is differentiated into Russian and French tarragon. The French tastes sweet and bitter, the Russian tastes more bitter and less aromatic.
• Tarragon complements parsley and dill in taste and effect and is therefore often found together with them in herbal mixtures.

ingredients

Tarragon contains a colorful mix of different ingredients:

• Flavone,
• Isocumarine,
• essential oils,
• Asparagine,
• Carvon,
• Estragol,
• Beta-Sitosterol,
• Eugenol,
• Limonen,
• Menthol,
• Phytosterole,
• salicylic acid,
• Thujon,
• Umbelliferon,
• tannins,
• bitter substances,
• Quercetin,
• I asked,
• glutamic acid,
• Potassium,
• Calcium,
• Magnesium,
• Eisen,
• Iodine,
• Zink,
• Vitamin A,
• Vitamin C.

A critical review by an international scientific team explained in 2011: The terpenes in tarragon include ocimene and terpineol. Estragole and anethole work together to create an aroma reminiscent of aniseed.

The flavonoids quercetin and palutenin add a tart taste. The wild form Russian tarragon contains only one percent essential oils, no tarragon, but sabinene and elemicin as well as ocimene and eugenol derivatives.

Tarragon can, for example, be used as a tea or spice and thus develop its delicious taste and health benefits. (Image: nata_vkusidey/stock.adobe.com/own editing heilpraxis.de)

Medicinal effects of tarragon

Tarragon is said to have the following effects: It is said to promote digestion, relieve cramps, inhibit inflammation and calm. Research has proven antiseptic, antibacterial and fungicidal effects, and the herb also helps against internal parasites.

The bitter substances in tarragon promote the production of gastric juices and thus increase appetite, and the tannins promote digestion. This is also why tarragon is known as a spice for difficult-to-digest dishes.

A Turkish study from 2006 mentions: The quercetin present in tarragon has a strong antioxidant effect. Similar to vitamin C, which is also contained in the leaves.

Antioxidants prevent other substances from oxidizing. They are important for the body’s functions because they slow down free radicals.

So you deactivate reactive oxygen accumulations. Too many free radicals trigger oxidative stress, which in turn overwhelms the cells, which now need more energy to strengthen their membranes.

If the cells are overwhelmed, proteins oxidize and change their structure. If the cell cannot compensate for this damage, the damaged proteins attack the cell. Oxidative stress can damage DNA and is a cause of cancer, accelerated aging processes and low life expectancy.

However, slowing down this oxidative stress slows down aging and promotes longevity. According to a 2016 Chinese study, quercetin counteracts inflammation and strengthens the body’s immune system.

How does tarragon tea work?

Tea made from tarragon herb is a home remedy to promote urine flow, stimulate metabolism and thus flush out excess water retention in the body. It promotes sleep and relieves stress-related complaints.

Is tarragon suitable for pregnancy?

Tarragon contains phytosterols, i.e. plant hormones. These affect menstruation and can trigger a late period. Pregnant women should avoid the herb because of the phytosterols.

Medical applications

Tarragon tea is a home remedy for coughs and feverish colds. It calms you down and helps against stress and problems falling asleep.

Chewed porridge made from tarragon leaves helps against toothache and inflammation in the mouth, and compresses made from fresh tarragon leaves are used in folk medicine to relieve rheumatic pain in the joints.

Use of tarragon

Tarragon is used in folk medicine to strengthen digestion and reduce toothache. In the Middle Ages the plant was known as Dragun or Dragoncell. This “dragon herb” was said to stimulate urine, help with stomach problems and relieve constipation.

A German-Polish review from 2021 notes: In Arabia, tarragon was considered a remedy for epilepsy, and in China it was considered a remedy for complaints in the stomach, intestines and liver.

Mark

Tarragon is perennial and can grow up to over a meter in height. However, cultural forms usually remain smaller.

It is a shallow-rooted plant that thrives in humus thicknesses of around 15 centimeters. The dark green leaves are typical, narrow and tapering, they are barely 3.5 centimeters long.

The flowers appear in green-yellow panicles between May and June. With basket flowers that are only around five millimeters in diameter and contain up to three dozen individual flowers.

Plant tarragon

Tarragon is a hardy plant from continental northern Asia. It prefers sun to partial shade and protection from the wind and likes it to be moderately dry to moist.

It is best sown directly outdoors from mid-March. It thrives better if it has been grown in previous cultures and the plants themselves come outside – but this is not necessary.

As a light germinator, you should only press the seeds onto the soil, but not cover them with a layer of soil. Tarragon also grows wide, and the distance to other plants should therefore be at least half a meter.

The daisy family thrives very well in larger flower pots. In the garden, you have to remember that the herb is weaker in the face of competition. That’s why you should pay particular attention to wild plants that are competing for space.

Tarragon does not tolerate waterlogging and at the same time the roots should never dry out completely – moderate dryness is always better than constant wetness. Too much moisture will quickly kill the plant.

Tarragon is a weak feeder and its demands on the soil are low. In spring you can give it a layer of garden compost and that will be enough fertilizer for the year. You should add an herbal fertilizer to the pot every five weeks.

harvest

You harvest tarragon before flowering because it loses a lot of its flavor during and after. The leaves have the best taste immediately before they bloom, because then the concentration of aromatic substances is highest.

Tarragon tastes best fresh, but can also be frozen and dried. Unfortunately, a lot of the flavor is lost when it dries. The fresh herb lasts a long time.

Make tarragon mustard

You can make tarragon mustard yourself. To do this, chop mustard seeds very finely, add peppercorns and mix both with finely chopped tarragon leaves.

You add wine vinegar, season with salt and sugar. You can also simply stir the freshly chopped tarragon leaves into the finished mustard.

Such tarragon mustard is not only a spicy seasoning, but also medicinally effective, because in addition to the healing effects of the “little dragon” there are those of mustard: mustard seeds contain isothiocyanates, fatty oil, sterols and mucilage, but especially mustard oil glycosides.

These protect the plant from bacteria, viruses and fungi. Mustard promotes the production of saliva, stomach and bile juices and thus stimulates digestion.

Tarragon in the kitchen: taste, vinegar, sauces and recipes

The tarragon taste is reminiscent of anise, woodruff and fennel, spicy, bitter and sweet at the same time. For tarragon vinegar or oil, you can use not just the leaves, but the whole stems and place them upright lengthwise in a bottle and fill it two-thirds full with vinegar.

Close the bottle carefully and leave it to steep for a few days. You can then use the vinegar, for example in a salad dressing or to pickle cucumbers.

There are many recipes…