Herbs can be used for so much, whether it’s to add more flavor in your meal, or to relax you with calming tea, here are six herbs you can grow here in the Philippines for your own culinary needs.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balms help add a minty flavor to your dish or drink. It’s also said that the lemony leaves help boost one’s energy when added into their tea. For cooking, this herb can be used as a substitute for lemon peel or zest. 

You can grow this herb indoors and it grows best in slightly moist soil, It requires water every day, especially in dry and hot weather. Make sure it gets at least 5 hours of sunlight when placed indoors!

Stevia

 Much like the artificial sweetener, this herb can naturally sweeten anything from coffee, juice, tea, and desserts without you having to worry about increasing your blood sugar level. It also has no calories!

Stevia grows best under full sunlight as the sun helps its leaves increase the sweetness.

Rosemary

This herb comes from the mint family and it’s commonly used to enhance the flavor of dishes like lamb and chicken. . This aromatic herb requires at least six to eight hours of sunlight a day and thrives in dry soil.  

Sweet Basil

A well-loved herb as it goes well with many dishes like pizza or pesto! For a hearty amount of sweet basil, make sure its soil is well-drained and moist, and placed in a location where it can get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.

Peppermint

Infusing your tea with peppermint makes for a calming drink. This herb can also be used to flavor food, sauces, and desserts. There’s also the added benefit that it’s said to treat colds and digestion problems.

This herb grows best in full sunlight and moist soil

Blue Ternate

While this plant isn’t an herb, this plant’s blue ternate flowers can color food and liquid into a beautiful blue dye. The flower is also edible and it adds a slightly nutty flavor to vegetable salads.