In Greece, aromatic herbs are found in abundance, thriving wildly on mountain sides and green meadows. Mediterranean climate, long periods of sunshine and rich geomorphology nourish rare varieties of herbs with unique aromatic qualities and high nutritional properties.
Greece is one of the richest countries in the world with an exceptionally diverse botanical wealth: 7,500 different species of plants, 850 of which are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Greece’s enormous wealth of herbs ranks her third in the world in native plants, which make up for 50% of the entire European Union. The herbs found in Greece today are the same herbs gathered thousands of years ago in Ancient Greece and their uses have remained unchanged, not only for flavoring dishes, but also for medicinal purposes in natural remedies. The names of herbs, their qualities and uses are known as a legacy that blended with mythology, traditions and home remedies. Many herbs resemble each other in aroma, flavor and appearance, but local people, through experience and knowledge handed down from generation to generation, know how to distinguish them. In 2013, The Association of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Greece (www.eng.eaffe.org) was founded, with the aim to promote the production, marketing and distribution of aromatic and medicinal plants in Greece and abroad. In 2014, the government launched a “national catalog” (www.slideshare.net), serving as a scientific reference on the plants.