One Herb to Rule Them All?

I have a garden full of herbs and a cupboard full of oddball spice blends but when I was asked what was my favourite flavouring, if I could only have one, I had to say that fresh basil is the one I wouldn't want to do without. I wondered what other people that cook might have as a favourite bit of vegetation for cooking with. "Basil - derived from the Greek word "basilikon," meaning "royal,"

What do others value most in the herbal realm?

[Jenise]

What's tough about this question is that I cook across several different cuisines. I couldn't do without Mexican oregano for Mexican food, tarragon for seafood and chicken, and basil for Italian food especially my beloved caprese salads. It's a real Sophie's choice, but push come to shove--maybe tarragon? Ask again tomorrow, though, and I might have a different answer.

Basil does a pretty good job of straddling Europe and Asia, because it works well in many Italian-esque dishes but can also stand in for the various Thai basil variants for Asian-esque dishes. It's the one herb I consistently buy for that versatility.

'Tis a silly question. Probably I would choose tarragon but I also treasure the woodsy herbs so thyme might win out.