A secret garden

In the middle of Stadtpark, well hidden on the roof of Steirereck, grow more than 120 of the most unusual culinary herbs from all over the world.

Fringed Rue / Ruta chalepensis

This, mostly forgotten, herb has an uniquely sweet and soapy aroma with hints of coconut and passionfruit. Originally from the mediterranean region, it was favoured by the Romans who used it equally for seasoning and as a medicinal herb. It's aroma is so intense that only a few small leaves are enough to flavour a litre of milk. From the Steirereck garden.

Alpine Sorrel / Oxyria Digyna

A real mountain herb is the small, crispy-leaved Alpine sorrel. It grows on the humid but barren soils of the Alps, preferably at altitudes of 1,700 metres and above. One of its peculiarities are the fruit stalks that change from green to pink and finally to red over time. Its fine, pleasant acidity is compatible with many dishes, but not, like the heart-shaped leaves and stems, with heat. That's why the Alpine sorrel is served fresh and raw on the plate. An almost unknown herb from the knotweed family that is waiting to be discovered.

Bushy Lippia

A member of the verbena family this South American herb has fleshy, aniseed scented leaves which are often favoured for making tea. From the Steirereck Garden.

White-leaved Savory / White Micromeria

A hint of a flavour - this impression is conveyed by the finely and gracefully grown Arabic mountain herb. But despite its filigree appearance, this small shrub from the eastern Mediterranean region has a surprisingly strong aroma.
It is reminiscent of oregano and marjoram with hints of delicate menthol mint with a depth of taste that needs to be explored with pleasure. In Arab-Jewish cuisine, the herb is used especially for seasoning lamb. The herb blossoms richly and smells of mint.

Argentinian Verbena / Lippia Polystacha

The woody tub plant from South America provides a fine aroma of mint, which is also retained intensively in the dried leaves and is therefore well suited to give tea blends a special touch.
The taste is sweet, reminiscent of spearmint and, unlike lemon verbena, which is widely related to the plant, has no lemony note. Another advantage of the dainty shrub: it provides long, hanging branches, blooms abundantly with white flowering stars and looks extremely distinctive.

Chinese Mint-Shrub

If flowers taste of a combination of mint, honey and apple, spiced with a hint of spiciness, then it can only be the large beautiful pink-purple clusters of flowers of the Chinese spice bush. The robust plant grows up to 90 centimetres , is hardy and could be used as a garden beauty by itself because of its appearance.
Also the leaves provide a vinous aroma, scented with a combination of caraway and mint. In short: the plant is highly attractive and refines both sweet and salty-spicy dishes.

Pepperwort / Lepidium Latifolium

Also known as Pepperweed or Dittany this member of the mustard and cabbage family can grow up to 2 metres in height. The long, slender leaves have a peppery, slightly bitter taste reminiscent of horsradish. Indeed the roots can be used similarly to horseradish. Pepperwort grows wild throughout Europe, Asia and northern America although its use as a herb is all but forgotten. From the Steirereck garden.

Scarlet Beebalm

The Indian nettle is a classic plant of the East of North America. Especially the Iroquois appreciated the aromatic herb with its characteristic scarlet flowerpots and used it both dried and fresh as a tea herb and for seasoning meat and other dishes. The gold balm is one of the original Monarda, of which there are countless cultivated varieties. The flowery, intense aroma of this still unadulterated variant
is strongly reminiscent of bergamot and therefore Earl Grey tea. In the Steirereck the tall and hardy plant serves as a base seasoning for marinades, vinegar and syrups.

Pericon

Originally from Guatemala this herb was used by the Aztecs for religious rites. It maintained its popularity in Central America for making tea and is used commonly in southern parts of the USA for cooking. The aroma is reminiscent of woodruff and aniseed, although the strongest comparison is with tarragon. The leaves are thicker and more fleshy than tarragon however and the flavour more intense. Gathered from the Steirereck garden.

Oca / Oxalis tuberosa

Succulent clover from the Andes region with thick, juicy stems and leaves. The delicate stems and leaves have a pleasant, fruity oxalis taste reminiscent of Verjus & green apples. The small red-skinned, starchy, non-acidic underground tubers are especially appreciated in Peru. Its native relative, Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella), has similar leaves, but not the decorative red stems and not the intensely sour taste.

Mushroom Plant

Originally from Papau New Guinea this hardy, bushy plant produces an abundance of fleshy, shiny, dark green leaves with an intense mushroom flavour. They can be used raw in salads or can be added to cooked dishes to provide a delicate mushroom taste. From the Steirereck garden.

Scottish Lovage

Somewhere between celery and parsley is the taste of Scottish lovage. In any case, the plant is incomparably finer than the common love stick. Originally from the coastal areas of Scotland, it is also good to breed in this country. The leaves and stems are crisp, firm, almost juicy and very tender when young. The Scottish lovage flowers in pretty, pink umbels and provides aromatic seeds that are used in the kitchen in late summer. It spices vegetables and dishes with light fish.

Wild Bergamot

A wildflower in the mint family wild bergamot or bee balm is widespread and abundant as a native plant in much of North America. It has summer-blooming, nectar rich edible white flowers and has been used as a medicinal plant by the Native Americans for centuries. Bee balm is still used today as the natural source of the antiseptic thymol, the primary active ingredient in modern commercial mouthwash formulas.

Agastache Mexicana

Fresh, tart, limey, unmistakable - this is how this tall and extremely attractive labiate from Central America smells and tastes. In the kitchen, not only the intensively magenta-coloured flowers are used, but also the young leaves.
As the Agastache Mexicana is a growing personality, it provides an untiring supply for the kitchen for many months. It can also be used as a dried tea plant and actually keeps its aroma for more than a year.

Lemon Savory

A variety of winter savory this hardy perennial herb has a lemon aroma close to that of lemon thyme. However, the typical spicy note of savory means it is also occasionaly used in place of pepper as a seasoning.