Image via Wikipedia When you live abroad, you need to relearn some things. The names of the herbs and spices in your kitchen is one of those things. The names can vary from regions to region, which is what I found in Turkey.
Technically, kekik translates to thyme. Practically, it can mean: thyme, winter savory, and sometimes even rosemary. It's a little bit frustrating, but worth learning the latin names of plants for this very reason. Finding someone else who knows the latin names is an entirely different story. You just have to wing it.
When I lived in Mersin, we'd regularly picnic in the foothills. Searching for the wild herb was part of the excursion. We grilled our kebabs with it there and took plenty home to dry. That was lucky for me, because if it had been in a jar labelled Kekik, I would have never found out what it really was.
I searched for the "Mersin kekik" here in the states. To the untrained eye, it does look a lot like thyme, but it isn't. Kekik tastes like mint and thyme got together, so I tried that. Combining those two herbs doesn't do the same thing. When I finally found it at the nursery, the label said winter savory, satureja montana... I grow it in my yard now for a steady supply because you can't buy it at the supermarket. It's an essential herb for grilling lamb (super yum!) and for my white bean stew.
