By Maryann Readal
The Herb Society’s Herb of the Month for July is savory, Satureja spp. Summer savory, Satureja hortensis, is the annual version of this herb, and Satureja montana, winter savory, is the perennial one. Another particularly pleasing species is Satureja spicigera, a creeping type that produces a nice groundcover and has great flavor. There are about 52 species (Herb Society of America, 2015) in the genus Satureja, which is in Lamiaceae or the mint family. Both summer and winter savory have a peppery taste with the winter plant having a slightly stronger flavor. Both are used in bean dishes, hearty soups and stews, and with meat and poultry dishes, too. Winter savory is used in dishes that require a longer cooking time. I am surprised at the depth of flavor in my chili when I add sprigs of winter savory while the chili is cooking. In Germany, winter savory is called bohnenkraut, the bean herb, because it goes well with beans and helps with digestion (Herb Society of America, 2015). Savories are also commonly used in Eastern European cuisines. They flavor white wine vinegar nicely and are one of the key ingredients in herbes de Provence.
Like so many herbs, savory has a unique story to tell. These stories make herbs such fun to study. Ancient Egyptians used savory to make love potions. The Romans cooked with savory, flavored their wine with it, and they brought the herb to England when they expanded their empire. The Saxons called the plant “savory” because of its peppery flavor. However, it fell out of favor as a flavoring in Europe once black pepper was introduced.
It was Pliny the Elder, the Roman writer, who gave savory its Latin name, Satureja, which means satyr. It was believed that the satyr, a mythological half-man, half goat nymph with an insatiable sexual desire, frolicked in fields of savory. It was believed that the satyr got his sexual stamina from the savory plant. For that reason, savory was thought to be an aphrodisiac, and love potions were made from it. Early monks were not permitted to grow it in their gardens because of that belief. Winter savory, on the other hand, was considered to be an anaphrodisiac which, when eaten, decreased sexual desire. (I suppose winter savory was allowed to be planted in monastery gardens.) Winter savory was also the herb that was more likely to be used for its medicinal properties.
Today, researchers are looking closely at the medicinal properties of the Satureja species. It is considered to be an herb that is beneficial to human health because of the oils thymol and carvacrol, which have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties (Ejaz, 2023).These researchers say that “their oxidant activity (in summer savory) suppresses the growth of many large tumor cells.” The health properties of savory have also been found to improve the health of poultry when added to their feed.
The term yerba buena, which means “good herb,” was the original name for the city of San Francisco. Yerba buena, a native species of savory, Satureja douglasii, now classified as Clinopodium douglasii, grew in the San Francisco area (The Epicentre, N.D.). Native peoples used the plant medicinally and introduced it to the Spanish missionaries in 1775, who named the area for the plant. The city’s name was later changed to San Francisco in 1848 (Wikipedia, 2023). Another interesting fact is that winter savory was once used for the shrubby dividers that separated the sections in British knot gardens.
Savories are considered to be good companion plants in the garden as they help deter certain pests and dieseases (McKarron, 2024). I experimented with this idea in my own rose garden and found that when savory was planted under the roses, mildew on the bushes was reduced.
For more information about the savories, please see The Herb Society’s Essential Guide to Savory.
Medicinal Disclaimer: It is the policy of The Herb Society of America, Inc. not to advise or recommend herbs for medicinal or health use. This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment. Please consult a health care provider before pursuing any herbal treatments.
Photo Credits: 1) Summer savory, Satureja hortensis, flowers (Wikimedia Commons, Karelj); 2) Winter savory, Satureja montana, (Wikimedia Commons, Hardwick Hall Garden, Victuallers); 3) Satyr (Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain); 4) View of San Francisco, formerly Yerba Buena, in 1846-47 (Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division); 5) English knot garden at Little Morton Hall, Cheshire (Wikimedia Commons, Pam Brophy).
References
Ejaz, Afaf et al. 2023. A comprehensive review of summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.): promising ingredient for production of functional foods. Accessed 6/5/24. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37554989/
The Epicenter. N.D. What is savory? Accessed 6/10/24. https://theepicentre.com/spice/savory/
The Herb Society of America. 2015. The Herb Society’s essential guide to savory. Accessed 6/6/24. https://www.herbsociety.org/file_download/inline/01ceb540-a740-4aa5-98e7-0c40b1f36c21
McKarron, Ann. 2024. How to plant, grow, and care for savory. Accessed 6/6/24. https://www.epicgardening.com/growing-savory/#:~:text=Common%20Problems,to%20reduce%20mildew%20on%20roses
Specialty Produce. N.D. Savory. Accessed 6/10/24. https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Savory_354.php
Wikipedia, 2023. Yerba Buena, California. Accessed 6/14/24. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_Buena,_California
Maryann is a member of The Herb Society of America’s Texas Thyme Unit in Huntsville, TX. She is a Texas Master Gardener and a certified Native Landscape Specialist with the Texas Native Plant Society and has received The Herb Society’s Nancy Putnam Award for Excellence in Horticulture. She lectures and writes about herbs and plants and does the herb training for several Master Gardener programs. She gardens among the pines in the Piney Woods of East Texas.
