Fleisher, A., Division of Medicinal and Spice Plants, Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Experiment Station, Haifa, Israel, 3 Amikam Street, Haifa, 34385, Israel
Sneer, N., Division of Medicinal and Spice Plants, Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Experiment Station, Haifa, Israel

A high carvacrol content in essential oil is the key to the concept of the ‘oregano’ spice and is a prerequisite determining a plant's suitability for the preparation of this condiment. Origanum heracleoticum L., the main source of Greek oregano, is a chemically non‐uniform species. Within its wild population there are at least three chemo‐varieties which, although similar in their external appearance, differ in their odours. On the basis of their flavours and essential oil compositions, these varieties could be defined as marjoram, thyme and oregano‐types. The latter, which contains mainly carvacrol, is traditionally, and almost exclusively, collected for oregano spice preparation on the basis of its odour. Copyright © 1982 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd