Dried rosemary sprigs 35 g

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.

Lemon balm picked before it flowers smells of lemon, not of hay. Irena Horvat near Klanjec dries the leaf whole and never crushes it.

Rub a leaf between your fingers and you will see why sage needs a light hand. Ana Jurić grows it near Benkovac and shade-dries it the day she picks it.

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.