Summer savory

Lore & Background

The Latin name *Satureja hortensis* is often linked to the word *satyr* in folk etymology, but this connection is not a confirmed historical fact. Legends associate the herb with this mythical creature, which may have influenced the name. During Roman times, its primary use was in cooking, flavoring foods until black pepper made its way to Europe and replaced most of summer savory's uses. The Romans introduced the herb to England, where it became popular for cooking and medicine. The English name comes from the Saxons, who called it savory for its pungent taste. In the 17th century, English botanist Nicolas Culpeper wrote that the herb had wind-expelling properties, making it more used for medical purposes. Summer savory has been cultivated since ancient times, not first cultivated in the 19th century; it is an annual herb, not a shrub.

Reader's Guide

Summer savory is a traditional popular herb in Atlantic Canada, where it is used in the same way sage is elsewhere. It is the main flavoring in dressing for many fowl, mixed with ground pork to create a thick meat dressing known as cretonnade. It is also used in stews such as fricot, and in potato cakes and meat pies. It is a characteristic ingredient of herbes de Provence and is widely used as a seasoning for grilled meats, stews, and sauces. In Bulgarian cuisine it plays an important role, providing strong flavor to dishes; a Bulgarian table will have salt, red sweet pepper, and summer savory, which when mixed is called sharena sol. In Romanian cuisine, known as cimbru, it is used in sarmale and mititei. The herb is preferred over winter savory for use in sausages because of its sweeter, more delicate aroma. Its leaves are abundant in phenolic compounds with antioxidant impact, and its essential oil contains carvacrol, thymol, and other terpenes. Summer savory is cultivated in France, Spain, Germany, England, Canada, and the United States. When bought for culinary use the herb contains both dried leaves and flowers.

Did You Know?

• Summer savory is an annual plant that lives only for a single summer.
• Its seeds contain chemicals such as carvacrol, estragole, caryophyllene, and E-caryophyllene, composed of 45% dry basis of fixed oil and 24% protein.
• The main pollinators of summer savory are bees, bumblebees, wasps, Bombyliidae, and hoverflies.
• The herb is well-documented as native to southeastern Europe, including Turkey and the Caucasus.