Fines herbes, or fine herbs, are a staple of French cuisine. This classic mixture of French herbs is traditionally used fresh in a wide range of dishes, although it is also available dried. The exact composition of a fines herbes blend varies, depending on the type of dish being cooked, although it usually includes parsley and chives. Ideally, fines herbes should be made fresh with herbs grown in the garden or purchased at market, but for cooks who cannot do this, dried blends are often available in the store.

A common fines herbes blend includes tarragon and chervil in addition to parsley and chives. Other herbs such as coriander, lovage, thyme, marjoram, basil, cress, and dill may be used as well. The herbs are minced very fine, so that they will be almost invisible in the final dish. Fines herbes are also typically added at the very end of the cooking process, as they will lose potency as they are heated.

A wide range of French dishes call for fines herbes. Since different cooks have different definitions of “fines herbes,” when using a cookbook it is an excellent idea to read the section on seasonings carefully. Many cooks will give a general recipe for fines herbes to work with, including individual additions in the relevant recipes. Because fines herbes can be used in everything from omelets to roast meats, one can imagine that they vary widely.

Since the herbs are used fresh, they impart a fresh, garden flavor to the finished dish. They also tend to have a small hint of bitterness, which often complements the layers of flavor in the food. As the herbs are diced so finely, they are almost smelled rather than tasted, suffusing a dish with flavor rather than appearing in chunks. The fine cut of the herbs also ensures even distribution, so that diners do not encounter a sudden change in seasoning.

Dried fines herbes generally keep for six months to one year before they lose flavor. They should be stored in a dark, cool, dry place, as herbs in general tend to be very fragile when dried and stored. To determine whether or not dried herbs are still usable, shake the bottle gently before opening it. A cloud of flavor should waft out, indicating that the herbs have retained their potency. If the fines herbes have a very light or nonexistent smell, they should be discarded in favor of fresh ones.