Tarragon

The gods were in fine form when they bestowed the King of Herbs on us mere mortals. Tarragon, known in France as THE King, has the ability to elevate any dish to stratospheric levels; from a subtle flavouring in a sauce or a salad dressing, to a bold explosion in salads, chicken, fish and eggs.

It is one of those herbs people tend to love or hate, depending on how they feel about liquorice. But there is more to it than anise — vanilla, a little mint, a touch of pepper — which is what separates it from fennel and the rest of that family.

It’s worth knowing that there are two of them. French tarragon is the one you want — mild, elegant, holding those contrasting flavours together. Russian tarragon is coarser and far less interesting on the plate, though it is hardier in the garden, which is why it turns up so often.

Fresh and dried are used quite differently. With fresh, rinse and pat the leaves dry, then strip them from the stem by running your fingers down it from the top. They can be used whole or chopped, but they bruise easily, so be gentle. Fresh tarragon wants to go in raw or towards the end of cooking — leave it in a long time and it turns bitter. Dried goes in early, and it will never give you what fresh does.

Tarragon is a perennial in our herb garden and thrives in partial shade. We keep it watered and pest free and it rewards us with an abundance of fresh, healthy leaves pretty much year round. It does diminish a bit in the winter months, though I can usually find some green shoots to snip off and add to a recipe, even when it’s freezing outside.

If tarragon is a new addition to your cooking, start with small, subtle amounts until you are comfortable with how much you actually enjoy. In large doses it will overwhelm the dish and your palate. As with most herbs, far better to add a little at a time until you are one hundred per cent happy than to over-season and potentially ruin your meal.

Tarragon has had a long life as a medicinal plant as well as a culinary one. It was traditionally taken to sharpen the appetite and settle digestion, and it earned the nickname the toothache plant — chew a leaf and you will feel a faint numbing on the tongue, which is the same compound that gives cloves their effect. It is a good source of antioxidants, and modern research has looked at it in connection with blood sugar and with sleep. For a herb most people keep for béarnaise, that is a respectable second career.

Fresh vs dried? Fresh every time — though I always keep a jar of dried tarragon in the cupboard for those cold and wet evenings when I don’t fancy a walk to the garden..

**updated August 2026