Salvia species

Sage is indigenous to the northern Mediterranean and is mostly an annual plant that thrives in warm and dry areas.

The great variety of its velvety leaves with a beautiful texture, which can be grayish-green, or green imbued with a silver or golden reflection, which make it an attractive garden plant and an indispensable addition to any kitchen.

There are many types of sage, some have broad, while others have narrow leaves. Narrow-leaved sages have beautiful purple and blue flowers, while broad-leaved sages rarely bloom. Young green leaves are less spicy and have a more pleasant taste than older, grayish leaves.

FLAVOR

Sage can be mild and musky or strongly camphorous with pungent notes and warm spiciness. Dried sage is more potent than fresh.

USED ARE fresh or dried leaves, and the flowers can serve as a beautiful decoration.

PURCHASE AND STORAGE

Sage is best if used fresh. If you buy it fresh, wrap it in a paper towel and keep it in the refrigerator for no more than a week. Dry sage, stored in a well-closed container, will retain its properties for up to a year.

USE IN COOKING

Sage helps with the digestion of fatty foods, so it is traditionally combined with them.

In Great Britain, sage is combined with pork, goose and duck, and it has proven to be good as a stuffing for the mentioned meat. In the US, sage is often used along with onions to stuff turkeys at American Thanksgiving.

Sage is a great spice for pork sausages, and Germans serve it with eel.

Italians use it in their classic dish saltimbocca alla romana, fry it in oil, put it on focaccia and in polenta. They make subtle and simple pasta sauces from it by slowly heating a few leaves in butter.

Sage is not a mild herb, so use it with caution so it doesn't take over the dish.

IT IS GOOD WITH apples, peas, cheese, onions, tomatoes.

COMBINES WELL WITH with bay leaves, caraway, celery, dry ginger, lovage, marjoram, paprika, parsley, summer savory, thyme.