This is the classic “pizza herb” most people are familiar with. It also pairs well with meats, rice, vegetable and cheese dishes and tomato-based soups and stews.
It has a bolder, spicier flavor than its parent and, in contrast to most culinary herbs central to Italian cuisine, it blends well with fiery spices and foods enjoyed in southern Italy.
However, the dried leaf is widely used in Middle Eastern, Philippine, Spanish and Latin American cuisines as seasoning for meats, vegetables and beans. In Turkey, the herb typically resides at the table next to the salt and pepper.