What is tarragon?
S. S., Irvine, CA Tarragon is an herb which I adore and is used a lot in French cuisine. I think I love it so and use it much because I grew up in Belgium where the cuisine is close, although not identical to that of France. The tarragon plant has long narrow leaves which grown on a slender stalk. The leaves have a distinctive flavor which is slightly sharp and peppery with anise overtones. It is available dried as well, but the dried variety quickly loses its aroma. If you have a bottle of dried tarragon on your shelves, open it up and sniff. If it smells of nothing or dusty, throw it out because it will add nothing to your cooking. Use fresh or dried tarragon sparingly because a little bit goes far in perfuming your recipes. The French love it with chicken and fish and it is the characteristic flavor in the classic haute cuisine butter sauce “Bearnaise”.
