Healthiest Spices: Chives and Oregano

Reach no farther than your spice rack to access the array of healthiest spices and the benefits offered by these common culinary herbs.

By Cal Orey
Updated on February 28, 2022
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by Adobestock/Blessings Captured

The chemical compounds in herbs and spices make them powerful gifts for our minds and bodies. They nourish our senses and provide wonderful memories. Think of the aroma and taste of eggnog with nutmeg during the holidays, for example, or the pungent flavor of garlic on pizza for a relaxing night.

But herbs and spices do much more than delight our taste buds and jog our memories: They also provide a valuable array of health benefits. Here’s a look at two popular, nutritious herbs that can be added to a variety of dishes. Both are easy to grow at home and can readily be found at markets and grocery stores.

Chives

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) entered my life during my first round at college, on a study date with a fellow student. We were both struggling on a student budget, and salad bars were a huge phenomenon in the 1970s. I was a vegetarian, but adding herbs to vegetables was still new to me, so my food-savvy friend took charge of my plate. He added chives, a dash of cayenne, and ground pepper to a baked potato.

bunch of green chives on a wooden cutting board

“Wow!” I exclaimed after taking a bite bursting with flavor. My date smiled and quoted the well-known author Louisa May Alcott: “Money is the root of all evil, and yet it is such a useful root that we cannot get on without it any more than we can without potatoes.” These words resonated with me because of my time spent pinching pennies and eating potatoes and salads.

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