Oregano in the U.S. began when soldiers returning from World War II brought back with them a taste for the "pizza herb", which had probably been eaten in southern Italy for centuries. There, it is most frequently used with roasted, fried, or grilled vegetables, meat, and fish. Oregano combines well with spicy foods popular in southern Italy. It is less commonly used in the north of the country, as marjoram generally is preferred. The herb is widely used in cuisines of the Mediterranean Basin, the Philippines, and Latin America, especially in Argentinian cuisine. In Turkish cuisine, oregano is mostly used for
Aptenia cordifolia adjacent to wild lands. Its flowers tend to have a more reddish color (unlike the authentic "A. cordifolia" in which they are magenta-purple) and leaves which are less heart-shaped and brighter green in color. Native to southern Africa, this species has become widely known as an ornamental plant. Today, however, it can be found in many warmer, mainly coastal areas planted or wild (including the Mediterranean region, the Canary Islands, California and Australia). The frost-intolerant plant needs a sunny spot and well drained soil. This is a mat-forming perennial herb growing in flat clumps on the ground from a woody