BASIL . Considered as “king of herbs” by many cookery authors, you’ll find at least four types of Basil at Edsa Garden House and Green 2000 Garden Center .

Sweet Basil and red basil are recommended to be used fresh. They’re pounded into pesto or added to a dish just off the fire. The whole plant can be dried and distilled for oil, but leaves are picked and used fresh or juiced.

Purple Basil and Thai Basil follow the same cooking procedure, but Thai has a stronger taste, while Purple has a spicy flavor. Generally, cooks use a bit less of these two for better taste. Thai basil is used as a condiment in Vietnamese noodle dish Pho.

As herbs, all these varieties are “restorative, warming, and aromatic.” Basil “relaxes spasms, lowers fever, improves digestion, and is effective against bacterial infections and intestinal parasites. It has a mild sedative action.”

OREGANO. Often used in tomato sauces, pizzas, fried vegetables and grilled meat. Together with basil, it contributes much to the distinctive character of many Italian dishes. It has an aromatic, warm and slightly bitter taste.

A “pungently aromatic, antiseptic, warming herb that relaxes spasms, increases perspiration, benefits the digestion, stimulates the uterus and acts as a mild expectorant.” As cough medicine for kids and adults, I’ve never seen a faster and more effective one than oregano.

ROSEMARY. Used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine, rosemary has a bitter, astringent taste which complements oily foods such as lamb and oily fish like salmon. Extensively used in cooking, it gives off a distinct mustard smell when burned, as well as a smell similar to that of burning, which also flavors foods while barbecuing.

Aside from being an aromatic, rosemary is a restorative herb that relaxes spasms, relieves pain and increases perspiration rate. It also stimulates the liver and gall bladder, improves digestion and circulation and controls many pathogenic organisms.

PANDAN. Used widely in Southeast Asian cooking to flavor steamed rice, cakes and drinks. “Interestingly, the leaves have been known to repel cockroaches, and are used by taxi drivers in Singapore to keep the pests away.”

STEVIA. Commonly known as sweet leaf, sugar leaf or simply stevia. As a sugar substitute, it has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste in high concentrations. Best for those avoiding diabetes and calories. (I have stevia but to this day, I haven’t gotten it as sweet as when I first tried it in a Tagaytay farm.)

PEPPERMINT. It’s often used as flavoring in tea, ice cream, confectionery, chewing gum and toothpaste. It can also be found in some shampoos and soaps, giving hair a minty scent and on the skin a cooling sensation.

It is believed to have medicinal properties which, when consumed, helps against upset stomach, inhibits the growth of certain bacteria and can help soothe and relax muscles when inhaled or applied to the skin. Best to have a few leaves on the table or in your pocket if you’re constantly drinking coffee or smoking.

TARRAGON. It “is one of the four fi nest herbs of French cooking, and particularly suitable for chicken, fi sh and egg dishes.” A bitter, aromatic herb that stimulates the digestive system and uterus, tarragon acts as a diuretic, lowers fever and destroys intestinal worms.

TSAANG GUBAT. It is one of the 10 herbs endorsed by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) as an antispasmodic for abdominal pains. It is registered as an herbal medicine in the Philippine Bureau of Food & Drug.

Tsaang Gubat is a shrub (small tree) that grows abundantly in the Philippines . The leaves have been traditionally used as a disinfectant during childbirth, as a cure for diarrhea and as tea for general good health. Because of its high fluoride content, tsaang gubat is gargled to prevent tooth decay. Research and tests now prove its efficacy. But if you prefer to wash your wounds with a more fragrant brew, boiled guava leaves can also do wonders.

SAMBONG. An amazing medicinal plant, it is an “antiurolithiasis and works as a diuretic.” It’s used to treat kidney disorders. The leaves can also be used to treat colds and mild hypertension. As a diuretic, it helps dispose of excess water and sodium (salt) in the body. It is one of the 10 herbal medicines approved by the DOH. There are now sambong pills in drugstores.

LEMON GRASS. More commonly known as tanglad, lemon grass is widely used in Asian and Caribbean cooking. It has a citrus fl avor and can be dried and powdered or used fresh. The soft inner part of the stalk can be finely sliced and used in cooking. It may also be bruised and added whole as this releases the aromatic oils from the juice sacs in the stalk.

DILL. Its fernlike leaves are aromatic and are used to flavor many foods such as cured salmon, soups and pickles (where sometimes the dill flower is used). Dill is best used fresh; it loses its flavor rapidly if dried. But freezedried leaves preserve their fl avor well for a few months.

It is said to be a pungent, cooling, aromatic herb that calms and tones the digestive system, controls infection, and has diuretic effects.

LAVENDER. Widely grown in gardens, and in my experience, the easiest to grow and maintain. Flower spikes are used for dried flower arrangements. Th e fragrant, pale flowers and flower buds are used in potpourris. Dried and sealed in pouches, they are placed among stored items of clothing to give a fresh fragrance and serve as moth deterrent. The plant is also grown commercially for extraction of lavender oil from the flowers. This oil is used as antiseptic and for aromatherapy.

But lavender oil can also be a powerful allergen. Herb enthusiasts cautions against ingesting lavender especially if you’re pregnant and breastfeeding.