Oregano does not have as colorful a history as many of the chili peppers in the region, but it has been used for hundreds of years. One of the oldest known uses comes from an ancient Mayan recipe for recado rojo, a red paste that includes cinnamon, garlic, oregano. The Mayan civilization lasted from 750 BC. until the fall of the last Mayan city, Nojpeten, located on an island in Lake Peten Itza in northern northern Guatemala in 1697.

Oregano is a spice with an intense aroma, full of grass, while the taste is slightly citrus, with subtle hints of lime and licorice. This type of spice, oregano, also indicates the smell of hay. Oregano is distinguished from any other type of spice by a better taste when dry, because drying causes a collapse of plant tissue structures and increases the amount of essential oil.

You will find the taste of fresh oregano in seafood and soups. The aroma is a little more subdued, but it is still present. In Mexico, it is a significant spice for beans, burritos, recados, tacos, tamales and fresh salsa. Throughout Central and South America, oregano is used in steaks, vegetable soups, meat soups and cooked vegetables.