Herbes de Provence
Dried herb blend from southeastern France, commercialized in the 1970s.
Herbes de Provence is a dried herb blend associated with the cuisine of southeastern France. Originally just a general description, it became a commercial product in the 1970s. Common ingredients include savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, basil, bay leaves, and black pepper. In North America, lavender leaves or buds are often added. The blend is frequently used on grilled foods, in stews, and in soups.
Provençal cooking has long used many herbs, but they were not historically sold as a fixed mixture. The commercial version was created by spice wholesalers like Ducros (now part of McCormick & Company) in the 1970s. The name has no legal protection or geographic certification. Only about 10% of the herbes de Provence sold in France are actually produced there; most come from Central and Eastern Europe, Northwest Africa, or China. The blends are often sold in larger bags and at lower prices in Provence than other herbs.
Typical mixtures combine savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano, with other herbs like basil, bay leaf, tarragon, summer savory, parsley, fennel, chervil, or hyssop varying by region. In North America, lavender is common, though it does not appear in Jean-Baptiste Reboul’s 1910 Provençal cookbook. The French Label Rouge standard specifies 19% thyme, 27% rosemary, 27% savory, and 27% oregano.
The blend is mainly used to flavor grilled fish, meat, and vegetable stews. It can be added before, during, or after cooking, or mixed with oil and lightly roasted. It also works in vinaigrettes, on salads, or on fresh cheese like goat cheese rolled in the herbs.
- field
- Culinary herb blend
- origin
- Provence, southeastern France
- known_for
- Flavoring grilled foods, stews, and soups
- commercial_introduction
- 1970s
- common_herbs
- Savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, basil, bay leaves, black pepper
Lore & Background
Provençal cuisine uses many herbs often characterized collectively as herbes de Provence, but not in specific combinations, and not historically sold as a mixture. It was in the 1970s that varying mixtures were formulated by spice wholesalers, including Ducros in France, now part of McCormick & Company. The commercial name has no Protected Geographical Status or other legal definition. Only 10% of herbes de Provence sold in France are produced in France; 95% come from Central European (especially Poland) and Eastern European (notably Albania) countries, the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa, or China. Herbes de Provence are often sold in larger bags than other herbs, and the price in Provence is considerably lower than for other herbs.
Reader's Guide
Herbes de Provence mixtures typically contain a combination of savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, with other herbs such as basil, bay leaf, tarragon, summer savory, parsley, and fennel, as well as chervil and hyssop, added or substituted by region. The French Label Rouge quality assurance definition is 19% thyme, 27% rosemary, 27% savory, and 27% oregano. The blend is primarily used to flavour grilled foods such as fish and meat, and vegetable stews. It can be added before, during, or after cooking, or mixed with cooking oil and lightly roasted before cooking. It can also be incorporated in vinaigrettes, sprinkled on raw foods such as salads, or used to season fresh cheese, such as goat cheese rolled in herbes de Provence. The blend's significance lies in its association with Provençal cuisine and its widespread commercial availability, despite most production occurring outside France.
Did You Know?
- Commercial blends of herbes de Provence started to be sold under this name in the 1970s.
- Only 10% of herbes de Provence sold in France are produced in France.
- The French Label Rouge definition specifies 19% thyme, 27% rosemary, 27% savory, and 27% oregano.
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