A typical entry from The Herbalist in the Kitchen.

Cuban Oregano

Plectranthus amboinicus

Other Common or Ethnic Names

Country Borage, Greek Oregano, False Oregano, Spanish Thyme, Stygian Thyme

Australia: Five-in-One
East Timor: Soldar
Indonesia: Daun Kucing, Daun Kambing
Malaysia: Daun Bangun-bangun
Philippines: Oregano, Suganda
Portugal: Oregano
Vietnam: Can Day La, Rau Cang, Rau Thom Lun
West Indies: French Tobago Thyme, Spanish Thyme

Cultivar

‘Variegated’

Related Species

Coleus amboinicus: Country Borage, Indian Borage, Spanish Thyme. (sometimes listed in old botanical texts as Coleus aromaticus. -- see Caveat below)
Coleus barbatus: (no common name found)
Plectranthus madagascariensis: (no common name found) Edible tubers used in Madagascar.
Plectranthus purpuratus: Vick’s Plant

Growth Habits

Perennial (in the Tropics)
Origin: East Indies, possibly Africa
Range: Wild in Malaysia. Caribbean Islands, cultivated from India to Southeast Asia, grown in Tropical Americas as well.

Culinary Uses

The fresh leaves are used to season fish and cabrito (young goat) in the islands. They are sometimes chopped in chile pastes (something like Jerk Seasoning, but without the strong Onion and Ginger presence). The leaves are the primary seasoning in the Cuban black bean soup, Frijoles Negros. A kind of salsa, made by mincing the leaves together with various unripe fruits, is served as an accompaniment to rice.

In Java and Malaysia, it is used in curries -- especially with goat or strong-smelling fish.
The leaves are sometimes used to flavor beers and wines in India. They have been brewed as herbal tea, and been cooked as potherbs.

Roots and young plants (Coleus amboinicus) eaten in South America. The fragrant leaves are eaten as potherbs in India

The roots of Coleus barbatus are pickled in India.

This powerful smelling herb seems to contain large amounts of Thymol, which would account for some of its misleading common names.

Caveat

This species is not listed in Hortus Third. A possible reason is that “Country Borage” is also used as a name for the related Coleus amboinicus.

Plectranthus is closely related to Coleus, as might be guessed by some the common names borne by the members of the Genus grown for their flowers: Brazilian Coleus, Prostrate Coleus, Swedish Begonia, Swedish Ivy and Spur Flower.

(Notes: diacriticals have been removed on the online version of this excerpt from The Herbalist in the Kitchen; they are included in the print version. Names of ingredients -- other than proper nouns -- are capitalized in the text if they have entries of their own, elsewhere in the book. A large and detailed glossary explains the technical terms used in the entries.)

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