Whole-leaf sage 100 g

Winter savory is oregano's sharper cousin and holds up through a long simmer, so it goes in at the start. The Radin family near Buzet cuts it just before it flowers and dries it in an airy loft.

Dried immortelle holds its scent for months and needs no water. Ana Jurić cuts it on the stony edge of her plot near Benkovac and dries it in small tied bunches.

Wild oregano is sharper and drier than the garden kind, so it goes in at the end and the smell survives. Luka Šarić gathers it on the dry meadows above Lovinac and dries it in a thin layer, unground.

Half a teaspoon is enough for a whole tray of biscuits — lavender takes over everything else quickly. Irena Horvat near Klanjec strips the flowers from the stems only after slow shade drying.

A whole sprig gives up its resin slowly, so the potatoes under it never turn bitter. The Radin family near Buzet dries young sprigs whole.