Savory
Parts Usually Used
Satureja hortensis: The whole plant Satureja montana: The whole plant
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Satureja hortensis: Summer savory is an annual plant; the branching root produces a bushy, hairy stem which grows from 1 to 1 1/2 feet high, often taking on a purple hue as it matures. The opposite, small, oblong-linear leaves are sessile or nearly so, gray-green or bronze-green, on many-branched stems and may have hairy margins. The small pink or white, two-lipped flowers grow in whorl-like cymes from July to October.
The entire plant is strongly aromatic. Satureja montana: Winter savory is an evergreen perennial species, 12-16 inches high, more woody and bristly than summer savory. It branches profusely from the ground up and produces lanceolate, pointed leaves on more or less hairy stems. Lilac to white flowers are borne in the leaf axils. It has the same medicinal properties as summer savory but the leaves are stiffer than summer savory, and more aromatic, with a stronger peppery thyme flavor.
They can both be harvested fresh all year. Other varieties: Calamint (S. arkansana) is a creeping perennial 4-8 inches high; leaves are oval at the base of the plant; the stem leaves are linear with oil glands on them. Leaves are strongly pennyroyal-scented. The flowers, 3/8 inch long, are purplish, two-lipped and bloom in April to July. Found in rocky glades from western New York to Arkansas, Texas; north to Illinois and Indiana.
Used as a substitute for American Pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides). Jamaican Mint Bush (S. viminea) is a woody shrub that grows up to 6 feet tall. Mint bushes are popular in Jamaica for teas and to relieve indigestion.
Where Found
Satureja hortensis and Satureja montana: Grows wild in the Mediterranean area and is widely cultivated elsewhere as a kitchen herb.
Medicinal Properties
Satureja hortensis: Antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, carminative, condiment, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic
Biochemical Information
Satureja hortensis: Essential oil including 30% carvacrol and 20% cymol
Legends, Myths and Stories
Both Winter and Summer savory have a pleasant, piquant flavor, though winter savory is stronger and more resinous. Used similarly, both are best known for their use with vegetables and all types of beans. Known as “bean herb” in Germany, the savories not only give flavor but cut down on the gas produced by beans. They also eliminate the strong odors in cabbage and turnips if you put 2 to 3 leaves in the cooking water.
Best used fresh; must be home grown. Summer savory probably originated in the regions around the Black Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. Benedictine monks brought it, along with many other potherbs, across the Alps to Europe, and Charlemagne, in his Capitulary on the management of his landed estates, ensured that it found its way into the gardens of monasteries and peasants’ farms.
In the Middle Ages, Summer savory grew in every monastery garden and still today it is prized as a kitchen herb. It was used for seasoning and as a remedy, and Abbess Hildegard of Bingen, Germany, a reputable medieval herbalist and recognized as such even in modern times, recommended savory as a valuable herb. The leaves are used in seasoning, sometimes combined with sage. Anyone suffering from low blood pressure (Hypotension) would do well to use savory in addition to hyssop in the preparation of food.
This herb was also highly valued in the Middle Ages because it was thought to stimulate the gonads. Summer savory was known to the Romans, who used its hot, pepperlike flavor to season dishes before other spices were widely used.
Uses
Historically, herbalists utilized summer savory (Satureja hortensis) tea for various gastrointestinal complaints, including cramps, nausea, diarrhea, flatulence, colic, and poor appetite. The infusion was also traditionally employed as a gargle for sore throats, as well as for colds, asthma, chest congestion, and suppressed menses. Folk tradition attributed aphrodisiac qualities to the herb, and its uses were frequently compared to those of oregano and marjoram.
In German tradition, it was known as Bohnenkraut. Topical and localized applications were also documented. The essential oil was historically applied directly to teeth to address toothaches. The herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recorded that the plant's juice, heated with rose oil and dropped into the ears, was believed to counter ear noises, ringing, and deafness. Additionally, traditional practitioners prepared external poultices combining savory with wheat flour, applying them to soothe sciatica, palsy, and stings from bees and wasps.
Winter savory (Satureja montana) was historically held to possess the same medicinal properties as summer savory.
Bibliography
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