Common thyme

As the saying goes: ‘The next bout of flu is bound to come, but not to those who take thyme’. In the Middle Ages, thyme was already used as a medicinal plant, for example to treat asthma, and the Romans added thyme to baths as a restorative and revitalising remedy.

When taken internally, thyme can act as an expectorant, mucolytic, antibacterial and antispasmodic. These properties can help, for example, with coughs caused by colds, whooping cough or bronchitis. Thyme can also have a beneficial effect on mouth ulcers or other inflammations in the mouth and throat. Furthermore, it can freshen the breath and stimulate the appetite.

Externally, thyme is often used in the form of baths to relieve cold symptoms. The bath can be prepared using fresh or dried thyme, as well as thyme essential oil. To do this, you can add three drops of the oil to the water, place around 100 g of fresh thyme in a muslin bag in the bathwater, or brew a tea using the same amount of thyme and add it to the bathwater. Then soak in the bath for 15 minutes.

The vapours from thyme can also be inhaled, allowing it to exert its expectorant effect, for example when suffering from a cough. To do this, place two tablespoons of fresh or dried thyme in a bowl of boiling water. Cover your head and the bowl with a towel and carefully inhale the vapours.

Thyme is an extremely popular and widely used herb that is an indispensable part of cooking. Thyme leaves have a sweetish, tangy aroma and a slightly pungent flavour. The flowers have a milder flavour and are also very aromatic.

From spring right through to the winter months, the leaves and shoot tips, together with the tender stems, can be used to add flavour. They are highly recommended for dishes such as fried potatoes, gratins, spätzli, bean dishes, mushroom dishes, vegetable patties, herb butter or salad dressings. They are also ideal for flavouring baked goods such as crackers, flatbreads, ciabatta, home-baked bread and herb salt mixes.

Thyme can also lend a distinctive flavour to drinks such as beer, tea, liqueurs, wine, vinegar or flavoured oils.

In summer, the flowers can be used as an edible decoration or to flavour the dishes mentioned above.

Common thyme contains about twice as much essential oil as other types of thyme. However, this species is rarely found growing wild. The more commonly found wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum agg.) has a similar effect to common thyme and can be used in the same way.

True thyme is native to the western European Mediterranean region, stretching from Italy through France and the Balearic Islands to Spain. It was brought across the Alps to Central Europe as early as the Middle Ages and is now cultivated across large parts of Europe.

Thyme can also be used for smudging. The smoke is said to have a invigorating and purifying effect. This practice was common in many cultures, such as among the Romans and in ancient Egypt.

The name ‘Thymus’ is said to be derived from the Greek word ‘thymos’, which means ‘vitality’. According to another explanation, ‘Thymus’ is said to derive from the Greek word ‘thyein’, meaning ‘to smoke’ or ‘to offer a smoke sacrifice’.

Common thyme is a perennial herb that can grow up to 40 cm tall. The evergreen leaves are cross-opposite, narrowly elliptical, short-stalked or sessile, densely covered with white, felt-like hairs on the underside, and with edges rolled downwards. Thyme has a square-shaped stem that is woody at the base, pink to lilac lips-shaped flowers and the characteristic scent of thyme. It prefers dry, calcareous soils and thrives in full sun.