Though many people do, you're not supposed to cook with this plant. It isn't the real oregano. 'Oregano' is a flavor and scent that can be found in a wide range of plants including plectranthus species. It will show up at garden centers everywhere after the weather warms up.

I am Hispanic, and Puerto Rican. All my life my family cooked adding oregano brujo to our "sofrito", along with recao, common oregano, and culantro herbs.

There is no reason in the world for not using oregano brujo for cooking.

We grow a wide variety of wild, pungent herbs in the island, and trust me, each is valued and used very resourcefully without any known negative consequences.

I live in CT now, and really want to find this variety that we call "brujo" in the island. So, the request is still up! Thanks

Wanda

I see it most often sold as Cuban Oregano. You'd do better with cuttings instead of seeds because you would want the most flavor and seedlings will be variable. I imagine the best places would be in south Florida.

I've lived in Puerto Rico and eaten it myself but one of my herb books advised against it.

I've also seen it under Cuban Oregano.

My sister said that sprouts can also grow from leaves, so I'll see if I can get a hold of some, if I can't find cuttings. I corresponded with a grower recently who told me they aren't easy to grow from seed, that is why the seeds are virtually impossible to find.

I don't know why anyone would advise against consuming this oregano. It is a staple herb in India, Mexico, Spain, and numerous Latin countries, without ever reporting negative effects, anywhere. It is consumed in marinades, sauces, salads, teas...

I question the background of the author of that book...

Wanda

I am looking for culantro cuban and/or cuban oregano. I thought I found it in Richter's Seed catalog. It was listed as "oregano, cuban", plectranthus sp. The listing said not to be eaten. I called them, and they concurred. I then found another listing in their catalog for "thyme, broadleaf", coleus amboinicus. The catalog listing said it was a favourite of tropical America, and a keynote flavour in Jamaican cuisine. I then found a source on the internet that used plectranthus amboinicus and coleus amboinicus interchangeably. Any thoughts?

(Richter's internet address is www.richters.com.)

Although the source doesn't mention the kind of Borage, the site below has seeds for a Borage with small purple flowers. Its the only source I have found so far that has any kind of Borage. The site also features several other unique seeds for plants and herbs. The borage catalog number is- 312.

Note: I wasn't able to connect to the site right now, as it may be down temporarily, but they also have a toll free number 800-457-9703

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Cooks Garden

Coleus and Plectranthus are closely related and often confused. At one point in time the species in question was placed in the Coleus genus and then later moved into the Plectranthus genus. Some literature keeps the old name, others don't. The plant is the same, only the name has changed.

Hi,
I don't understand why some people would say that OREGANO BRUJO is not for consumption. We in Puerto Rico use it all the time. I use it in my sofrito and everyone is always asking me what my secret ingredient is. It gives it a special flavor. It is very common out there in P.R.
Unless you're allergic to it, I don't see the harm.

Plectranthus amboinicus, also known as Coleus amboinicus, has any number of common names. Some include:

Queen of Herbs, Five in One Herb, 3-in-One, 7-in-One, 10-in-One, Five Seasons Herb, Allherb, Country Borage, Indian Borage, Five Spice Herb, Chinese Three in One, Broad Leafed Thyme, Spanish Thyme, Spanish Sage, Puerto Rican Oregano.

'Seasons' of course refers to 'flavouring', not the time of year, although this is one tough plant which survives all year round in many places.

The numbers refer to the number of different aromas resembling that of other herbs which can be detected by individual people, including sage, thyme, oregano and basil.

It is completely safe to eat, and offers good flavour to a variety of dishes. In fact, it's the herb you use when you don't know what herb to use! It is particularly useful in Mediterranean-style cooking if you can't get 'the real thing'.

It has medicinal uses, too: Use an infusion of the leaves as a hair rinse to treat dandruff or in the laundry as a final rinse. The leaf tea can be taken for bronchitis, asthma, coughs, viral conditions, to relieve indigestion and stomach cramps, convulsions, as a liver tonic, for insomnia, and for pain relief. Pulped leaves will relieve the pain of scorpion or centipede bites and stings. Chew leaves to relieve sore throat and coughs.

Usual Dosage: Pound fresh leaves and mix the extracted juice with water. Boil one sprig in a cup of water and add a little honey. Take as required.

It is incredibly easy to propagate by cuttings - any little piece will strike root when stuck into the dirt - but I find it's better to let the cutting dry out for a day or three before planting it.

BTW, there are several very pretty variegated cultivars - all are safe to eat.

I can't find these seeds anywhere, but I sure wish I could. I have a bunch of dishes that call for this. Any ideas?

I am Puerto Rican also and I agree, oregano is large in our cooking. I found a site with plants and they ship them. I did not enquire about seeds but you can contact them directly. Their site has contact information. I found two types, the first is for the version I am familiar with which is called Spanish Thyme. The second is labeled 'Cuban Oregano'. Run a search on their site for both. I will tell you the 'Spanish Thyme' has a very strong oregano smell and taste and has been great in receipes.

http://site.mawebcenters.com/accentsforhomeandgarden_1/catalog_i7475817.html?catId=292138

Here is a link that might be useful: ACCENTS FOR HOME AND GARDEN

for the posts claiming it should not be consume please quote a reference. i am curious about the why.

i am puertorrican also and i treasure oregano brujo in my cooking. i know it is a hardy plant. if you can get somebody to carry small cut out branches you will be able to grow it easy. i live in OK and i just came thru in the airport by putting them in a water bottle like it was a small flower arrangement. i empty the water to go thru main sector and then refill it once on the gate area. i did that coming from PR to orlando. and i will try the same method going to OK.
the value of that plant is that when i grow it in OK i will have a piece of my uncle's plant. and like most of us we put sentimental value to the spices we grow. culantro de la abuela, pimiento de la matita de tia etc

Oregano Brujo is often sold as Cuban Oregano in nurseries in MD and PA where I now live, but beware! I ordered 6 plants at the same place I buy them every year and they came back with a variegated Cuban Oregano which is NOT the same. I would not take them even though they insisted that they were the same as they sell every year. They finally accepted their mistake - and lack of knowledge - when I showed them a pic of the plants I grew last season with their sticker on the side. Another place told me that the green plant would be in the following week after I asked about it because all they had was the variegated plant. I drove 45 miles to pick up and when I got there it still wasn't the "real" plant we use in Puerto Rico. Neither of these smelled the same as the brujo used in our cuisine and could never be used interchangedly. Buyer beware!

I get my puertorican oregano from this place: http://maggiesherbfarm.com/

They are located in Florida but if you need it mailed, they will mail it to you.

I didn't know anything about this plant until my local greenhouse gave me a name to search. My search led me here after several sites confirming that what I truly have is Cuban oregano. The plant is plump and soft to the touch that is why I was so unsure of it as being edible. I was told when I bought it from the local high school agriculture dept. that it was "old fashion lemonbalm"(I guess because of the strong lemony smell). I have not tried cooking with it because of my unfamiliarity of it, but now I am going to. I would recommend checking for it being listed as lemonbalm too.

Seems there are different varieties of this plant. Can someone post a picture of the Puerto Rican Variety then the Cuban variety and then the variagated one?? Might help clear up some confusions as ive never heard of the plant having a lemony smell which sounds like its either missidentified or a different variety...
Please only pics (Or links to pics) of plants you know are such plant as ive seen people claim coleouses where some. They are of the same family and can look like em but I belive actual coleouses are poisonous plus coleouses die back in winter even here in Sunny Southern California but I dont belive the herb does. I believe from all ive read it can take a lot more cold..
Ive been told it has an Oregano/Thyme and some other spice that begins with an S smell and taste (Possibly Sage)..(Cant remember) with a hint of Turpintine and can be bitter as the leaves get bigger and older (But bitter in a good way as long as you dont overdo it in your dish) and I do seem to recall as someone above mentioned that it is indeed the herb you use when you dont know what herb to use..Ive also heard that depending on the person the scent will be slightly different (Though I dont think lemony) It makes a wonderful flavored Vinegar and can flavor a green olive oil(Strain leaves) very well. You can mellow the bitterness or make it disapear by simering it in a syrup which im told then can be added to drinks and gives them a misterious but great taste that most people cant figure out is.

As someone on here said we put sentimental value to the spices..These where the ones I grew up with. Im Puerto Rican and my parents are Cuban and while I identify as Puerto Rican my parents had somethings from each culture..They quickly adopted Puerto Rican cooking but kept their Cuban cooking as well..Sometimes similar dishes from both countries got changed a bit to reflect the culture that had the best taste for that dish mixed with the other cultures different tastes..Like one dish my mom always used the Cuban Sofrito she learned as a child but not the Puerto Rican version she learned on PR but used the PR sofrito on other dishes..Sometimes the taste change was subtle but there and better than the original dish...Both similar but both with different tastes so it went with the dish that worked best thus we could have a cuban dish made with PR ways of cooking or mixtures of similar items resulting in a new item...
I dont know too much about my Cuban side as I do my PR side but now that im older there is a comforting feeling in thinking of owning these plants that where part of my Childhood thus Im looking for both varieties; Cuban and PR as well as Cuban Garlic...I do want to cook some of my childhood recipes and have them taste like they did back then..

Here's a photo of the variegated kind.

You can also visit the Glasshouse Works mail-order nursery site to see photos of the plain green-leafed and ornamental kinds.

Once you have a plant, growing others from cuttings is very easy. I've even successfully rooted cuttings from a branch (of "Variegatus") that fell on the floor behind a plant stand and remained there for months (the succulent stems remain viable for an amazingly long time).

Never used it in cooking, but a lot of people apparently do in the Caribbean and I haven't heard of any problems in doing so.