plant
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris
Origin
A low woody shrub of the Mediterranean garrigue, thriving on dry, rocky, calcareous soils across Provence, Spain, and Greece. It is gathered in summer and distilled to yield an essential oil dominated by the powerful phenol thymol.
The smell
A pungent, sun-cured herbaceousness, sharp and hot with the antiseptic bite of thymol. It smells of dry stone and resinous scrub, savoury and almost meaty, with a peppery heat that warms the breath. There is something fierce and ancient in it, the concentrated essence of a hillside baked all summer long.
Key quality
Prized for its potent antiseptic phenols and fiercely aromatic, savoury heat.
Historical use
The ancient Egyptians used thyme in embalming, while the Greeks burned it as a temple incense, the word possibly deriving from 'thymos', meaning courage. Roman soldiers bathed in thyme water before battle, and medieval ladies embroidered sprigs of thyme onto the scarves of knights as emblems of bravery.
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