Herbes de Provence

Herbes de Provence is a mixture of summer herbs that commonly grow in the hills of Provence, a hot and sunny province on France's southeastern tip bordering Italy. Appropriate to use in any Mediterranean recipe, Herbes de Provence is especially wonderful when combined with olive oil and added to grilled chicken or fish. Like Fines Herbes, bouquet garni, Chinese Five Spice or Indian curry powder, Herbes de Provence as a homemade herb blend will vary in components and proportions from house to house. In general, though, Herbes de Provence contains savory, fennel, basil, thyme flowers, rosemary, bay leaf, chervil, tarragon, marjoram, and mint, with thyme being the dominant ingredient and flavor. Herbes de Provence as a store-bought, pre-packaged herbal blend was concocted in 1970's and at that point began to also include Provencal lavender -- an ingredient which is not used in traditional French mixes but is delicious nonetheless.Herbes de Provence is popular on grilled foods such as fis