Thyme oils are obtained by steam distillation of flowering herb of the thyme species Thymus vulgaris L., grown in the Mediterranean region and in Eastern Europe, and of Thymus zygis L., cultivated in Spain.The typical character of true thymian oils is a relatively high content of the phenolic compounds thymol and carvacrol, although thyme oils containing other main constituents (linalool, borneol) may also be traded as thyme oils. The best known thyme oil is Spanish red thyme oil obtained from T. zygis L. It is a red or reddish liquid with a strong, characteristic, spicy, phenolic odor and a sharp, lasting taste and has the highest thymol content of all thyme oils. d2020 0.910–0.937; n20D 1.4940–1.5040; α20D ?6 ° to ?1 °; solubility: 1 vol in ≤3 vol of 80% ethanol. The main constituent of thyme oil is thymol (37–55%), which also predominantly determines the sensory properties of the oil.