Tarragon is one of the most important Herbs in French cooking
There are 3 different types of tarragon – below are example recipes & more info further down the page.
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What type to use in Tarragon recipes
There are 3 types of Tarragon you can use when making recipes:
- French Tarragon
- Mexican Tarragon
- Russian Tarragon
Fresh or Dried tarragon ?
When cooking you can either use Fresh or Dried tarragon. Although the manufacturers of dried herbs don’t usually mention which type they use it is probably (guessing) French tarragon.
But if you want to make 100 % sure you are using the right type then fresh is the only option. Linked to this the flavour is often better when using fresh herbs than dried herbs.
The 3 main types
Type 1 – French tarragon
One of the most important herbs in French cooking, with a very delicate aromatic flavour.
French tarragon is the key tarragon type to use if you are into cooking. This is one of the most important herbs we grow at home – for example the one pictured on the right is growing on a sunny window sill.
Type 2 – Mexican tarragon
Ideal for Mexican & Latin American recipes.
This type of tarragon has less flavour than French tarragon, but does have a slightly stronger aniseed flavour resulting in slightly differently tasting meals.
Unfortunately you simply won’t find it in most shops – if you need to use it for recipes like the Potato Tarragon Salad then the easiest option is to grow it at home.
Type 3 – Russian Tarragon
Very pretty plant that is great for on the patio but not as an ingredient. Much weaker flavour than French tarragon (about 25 % of the flavour).
When using it for cooking use it the same way as French tarragon but add 3 to 4x as much.
More information