Native to the Mediterranean and Eurasia, Origanum species have been cultivated in Egypt for over 3000 years, were used by the ancient Greeks since classical times and have been grown in England since the 13th century. Some of the earliest records of Origanum use date back to 1600-1200 B.C., when images of the plants were inscribed on tablets by the Hittites of Asia Minor/Syria. Sweet marjoram has long been an herb of love. According to Roman legend, the goddess of love, Venus, gave the plant its scent “to remind mortals of her beauty” — from The Herb Society of America Guide
Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
Marjoram, sweet (origanum majorana, Majorana hortensis)
Sweet marjoram is a bushy, low-growing perennial herb with greyish-green leaves and terminal clusters of tiny white or purple flowers.
Part used: fresh flowering tops, leaves, and stems
Oil appearance: clear, slightly yellow-tinged to pale yellow
Therapeutic uses: muscle relaxant, for muscular spasms or pain, general aches, numbness, body stiffness, abdominal pain, menstrual cramps or problems, menopausal symptoms, contusions/bruises, headache, gastrointestinal disorders, abdominal spasms, indigestion, intestinal spasm, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulosis, insomnia, stress-related conditions, anxiety.
Precautions: none known; Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA
RECIPE
From Herb Wisdom:
To enhance the digestive system’s performance, 2-4 cups of marjoram tea (not using essential oil, but the dried leaves of the plant) may be ingested in 2 hours. Drinking the tea will help digestion by:
- Increasing the efficiency of digestion by increasing digestive enzymes and saliva
- Calming the stomach and digestive system.
- Improving appetite
- Relieving nausea
- Eliminating flatulence
- Curing or preventing basic intestinal infections
- Soothing painful stomach cramps or spasms
- Relieving diarrhea
- Relieving constipation
Marjoram Tea: Grind marjoram leaves into a paste and add hot water or tea. Use one teaspoon of ground marjoram per 7 ounces of water. Boil the mixture for 15 minutes. Drink two to four cups of this tea over the span of two hours for digestive benefits.
Stronger marjoram tea: Add two teaspoons of marjoram to a cup of 7 ounces of cold water. Let it soak for 24 hours and add honey to it. An even stronger tea may be made by adding 6 teaspoons marjoram to 7 ounces of water. It has a calming, antidepressive effect.
Be prepared to be astounded when you look at the next photo. This is what the leaves of young sweet marjoram look like under an electron microscope.
Tao Talk 
One of my favourite herbs.
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What’s your favorite way to use it?
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It’s one of 3 main ingredients to my homemade pain relief and I use it in cooking especially with with green vegetables.
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Awesome!
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I like this one, we use it mainly as an aromatic plant to flavor dishes.
M is for Modern Quilts
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Ah, I might try growing some of this.
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What a wonderful photo – so vibrant and green. I did not know marjoram is good for digestion – I keep learning new things here.
Tasha 💖
Virginia’s Parlour – The Manor (Adult concepts – nothing explicit in posts)
Tasha’s Thinkings – Vampire Drabbles
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I didn’t either, until I put the post together. Glad you learned about this wondrous plant 🙂
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Microscopes reveal amazing beauty. (K)
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They do and it is!
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I put some in my spaghetti sauce.
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Yummy! Have you been cooking more since the lockdown? Some herb blends my younger son bought me for Christmas a couple of years ago may have some in it. Will have to check.
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I just think of it as a herb, I had no idea of its digestive properties when drunk as a tea.
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ha ha! Now you know.
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I think of majoram as one of a group of herbs that are blended together, probably for salads and veggies?
https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-z-2020-switzerland-migros.html
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Good to know. It sounds tasty for salads. Also good to know it aids in digestion!
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I love the microscopic photo! I’d never heard of marjoram tea – I wonder if it tastes any good. I hope so, if you have to drink four cups at a time!
Black and White (Words and Pictures)
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I’m guessing a lot of the herbs, plants, etc, used for essential oils have that kind of microscopic magic. If it’s sweet maybe not too bad, you can drink it as iced tea? 4 cups over a day is not too bad.
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I’ve never given marjoram much thought before. I think I will now. I had no clue about any of this.
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I’m going to try and plant some.
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One of my favorite herbs too.
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🙂
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After reading what Venus has to say about sweet marjoram, I’m intrigued to smell its scent.
I bought a bottle of dried marjoram on a whim a few month ago and forgot all about it. Your post has reminded me. I’ll google for a simple recipe I can use it in, I think:)
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Glad you have it on hand. Let me know what you make with it!
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The leaves look adorable!
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Love that microscopic image – how fascinating! I’ve never had marjoram tea, but I’m definitely going to be sure to try some on a Friday, the day dedicated to Venus. I’m sure she’d approve.
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Fantastic! A fitting dedication.
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This looks like it would help IBS. This one has a lot of pluses to it.
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For sure, Max. I think it would be easy to grow also.
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Hi Lisa…working late tonight…It sounds really good. I have stomach problems and this sounds like a God send.
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Awesome on the sweet marjoram! I signed off right after that last comment and watched a couple episodes of Elemental.
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I am telling Jennifer about that today after she is through with work.
I never heard of this and I want it bad.
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🙂
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Thanks for visiting, Cathy’s Pinup Girl Art Sketch Series ‘M’ yesterday. Marjoram sounds very interesting, especially considering both DH and I have troubles with our tummies. I will have to delve into the spice a little more and perhaps even make some tea as you recommend to improve our digestive systems. It’ll be great if it works! 🙂 Be healthy and safe, my friend!
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You are welcome, it’s my pleasure. Yes, it is definitely worth a try for you and DH. Let me know if you use it and how it goes.
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More reasons to use it in the kitchen 🙂
An A-Z of Faerie: Merrows
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