Tarragon Leaf (Artemisia dracunculus) is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae related to the wormwoods. It is native to a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere from easternmost Europe across central & eastern Asia to western North America, & south to northern India & Mexico. The North American populations may however be naturalised from early human introduction. Tarragon grows to 20-150 centimetres tall, with slender, branched stems. The leaves are lanceolate, 2-8 cm long & 2-10 mm broad, glossy green, with an entire margin. The flowers are produced in small capitulae 2-4 mm diameter, each capitulum containing up to 40 yellow or greenish-yellow florets. Traditional Uses for Tarragon Leaf: - Tarragon has a spicy flavour reminiscent of anise. French tarragon (which this is) is the variety generally considered best & superior for the kitchen, but cannot be grown from seed. Russian tarragon can be grown from seed but is much weaker in flavour. However, Russian tarragon is a far more hardy & vigorous plant, spreading at the roots & growing over a metre tall. This tarragon actually prefers poor soils & happily tolerates drought & neglect. It is not as strongly aromatic & flavoursome as its French cousin, but it produces many more leaves from early spring onwards that are mild & good in salads & cooked food. The young stems in early spring can be cooked as a tasty asparagus substitute. Tarragon is one of the four fines herbes of French cooking, & particularly suitable for fish & chicken dishes. Tarragon is one of the main components of Bearnaise sauce. French Tarragon Cut Leaf - Artemisia Dracunculus 50 Grams
