Sage is a well-known garden herb that also carries many health and healing benefits. In ancient times it was thought to have powers of immortality, or at least longevity. scientific name, sagemeans health, and the word wise has come to be synonymous with wisdom, although its origin is more likely to be Latin I will savewhich means to heal, or to be safe or well.
Salvia is a hardy perennial with square, woody stems covered in down. There are many varieties of salvia, and the plants grow 1 to 3 feet tall. The long oval leaves are opposite, about 2 to 4 inches long. They look stony and wrinkled and are grayish-green in color. The leaves are softly hairy or velvety and the edges have round teeth. They are at their peak of flavor just before the plant begins to flower. The flowers are tubular and pink, purple, blue or white. They are a little over half an inch long and grow in whorls of four to eight per stem.
Although these days sage is best known for its culinary use, it is also known as an herbal medicine. Clary sage oil has antiseptic, astringent, and irritant properties and is believed to be anhydrotic, that is, capable of drying up bodily secrets such as perspiration. Sage used as a mouthwash or gargle is useful for treating sore throats and mouth irritations. Sage tea after a meal benefits digestion. It is known to aid in the digestion of rich or fatty foods like pork and even sweets. Although sage has many wonderful and healthy properties, it should not be taken in large amounts for long periods of time.
The flavor of sage is camphor and balsam and pleasantly bitter. It is a good companion for foods with strong flavors. The young leaves can be used sprinkled on salads or cooked in omelettes, fritters, soups, yeast breads, sausages, meat pies, and stuffings. They are wonderful cooked with meats such as liver, beef, pork, fish, lamb, and poultry. Artichokes, tomatoes, asparagus, carrots, squash, corn, potatoes, eggplant, green beans, onions, Brussels sprouts, oranges, lemons, garlic, cheese, and lentils all benefit from the flavor of sage. The whole leaves can be dipped in a batter and fried.
I use sage regularly when making pork chops. If it’s fresh, chop the leaves and sprinkle over the pork while it cooks. If they are dry, rub the leaves between your fingers to release the oils and spread over the meat. The fresh leaves can grow quite large and can be wrapped around small Cornish hens while cooking. The leaves are wonderful in a rolled pork roast. My sister once made a delicious meal out of whole sage leaves rolled into veal cutlets. The veal is pounded until fine and coated in flour, then a slice of prosciutto and a slice of mozzarella are placed on top, then a sage leaf on top and the chops are rolled up, skewered with toothpicks and fried in butter for 5 minutes. White wine, a little salt and pepper are added, and the rolls are left to cook another 5 minutes or more until the meat is cooked.
The four most common varieties of sage that are easily found in plant nurseries are as follows. common Sage, sage officinaliss, is the most commonly found, with solid, pale ash-green leaves. motley sage, Salvia O. icterina it has green leaves with a yellow to white border. purple sage, Salvia O. purpurea, has deeper purple stained and veined leaves, and some varieties of purple sage have paler pinkish undersides of the leaf. tricolor sage, Salvia O. tricolor, has variegated leaves in cream, purple, and green. Either of these is fine to use in the kitchen and is purely a matter of taste and aesthetics.
Salvia is easy to grow, needing full sun and well-draining soil. It will appear year after year in most climates, although after 4 years or more the plant may become too woody and need to be replaced. The plant itself is quite decorative and makes a great addition to any garden simply because of its appearance. Common sage flowers are a lovely striking blue. Even if it is grown as an ornamental, it is useful for use in cooking. Try to grow wisely to see how rewarding it can be.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope this has been informative and has helped you on your own culinary journey.