People all over the world value marjoram as a culinary herb for its delicately sweet, pleasant flavor. For centuries, cooks in many regions from a wide variety of cultures have used this herb (which is closely related to oregano) to season all sorts of meat, stews, vegetables and breads.

In France, this herb is one of the main ingredients in the famous mix of herbs, Herbes de Provence. In the Arab world, marjoram is the main ingredient in the herbal mix and condiment Za'atar. In ancient Greece, physicians touted this herb for its medicinal purposes as well-they applied it internally and externally to help conditions such as narcotic poisons, convulsions and dropsy. Furthermore, ancient Greeks believed that if marjoram grew on a grave, it meant happiness for the departed person in the afterlife.

Often, because it is a close relative of marjoram, people use oregano as a replacement herb in recipes. While marjoram is sweeter in flavor than oregano, Greek food, Italian food and American food benefit from the flavor that oregano imparts into them almost as much as from its sweeter cousin. Other foods that benefit from the flavor of this ancient herb include roasted chicken, lamb, roast beef, sausage, pork, fish, stuffing, bread salad dressing and chowders. Egypt is the principal source for nearly all of the marjoram imported into the United States.

If you want to purchase some of the finest marjoram on the market, you should visit a specialty spice retailer, such as A1 Spice World at A1SpiceWorld.com. There, you will be able to find all of the finest herbs available on the market at great prices.