All About Sage | Know Your Spice Salvia (Salvia officinalis)

Sage is a spice derived from the leaves of Salvia officinalis. It belongs to the Lamiaceae (Mint Family) alongside oregano, lavender, rosemary, thyme, and basil.

Salvia officinalis is an ancient spice, its importance today is quite limited; usage concentrates on the Mediterranean countries. Dishes spiced with sage are found from Spain to Greece.

Italians most commonly use the herb to flavour meat and poultry dishes; especially veal, which is often thought bland, can profit a lot from this herb.

It grows wild in the Dalmatian region of Yugoslavia. It is cultivated in Yugoslavia, Italy, Albania, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, England, Canada and USA.

In India, it is sparingly cultivated in Jammu.

The Ancients and Arabians considered the herb linked to immortality.

It was first found northern Mediterranean countries and eventually spread to England, France and Switzerland in the fourteenth century.

In the Middle Ages the herb was used in chicken and pig dishes as a sauce seasoning. The Greeks and Romans used it to flavor meats.

The use of the herb dates to Chaucer and to Medieval times. It was used by elegant women in the fourteenth-century at dinner parties.

When washing hands at the table, a water infused with its leaves would be prepared and offered to the attendees to cleanse themselves.

In China, as a counteracting agent to snake bites, many used it in teas and its use was more popular than green tea consumption.

American Indians also used sage as a medicine mixed with bear grease to treat skin sores. In the 1800s, Americans used it to cure warts.

• The herb is primarily used as a flavouring to enhance the taste of pork, lamb, meats, sausages, and in stuffing.
• It is also used raw in salads, pickles and cheese.
• It is also used often in conjunction with salt and pepper as a flavouring ingredient in various poultry stuffing recipes.
• For a sore throat the leaves can steep in hot water then the water can be gargled to soothe the throat.
• A infusion using the leaves can be made to soothe skin irritation, clear sinuses, or prevent an excess flow of saliva.

It has an earthy but bold herbal flavour that has a slightly peppery taste with hints of mint, eucalyptus, and lemon.

A typical daily dosage for dried leaves have been described as 4 to 6g/day. If consuming the tea, it is safe to limit consumption to 3-6 cups a day.

• Properly stored, fresh leaves lasts for 10-14 days if stored in a refrigerator.
• Properly stored, dried or ground leaves will generally stay at the best quality for about 3 to 4 years.

• To store, simply wrap the fresh leaves in paper towels and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
• To freezing fresh salvia use the ice cube method. Chop the leaves and place them in ice cube trays. Add water or butter to the compartments and freeze.
• Dried herb need to be crumbled & stored in an airtight container in cool, dark place.

• Marjoram. Also, a mint family member, marjoram, is a woodsy, citrusy, and floral herb that closely mimics sage’s distinct aroma. It has a flavour similar to salvia and can be used either fresh or dried.
• Rosemary. This highly aromatic Mediterranean herb boasts intense pine-like and woodsy flavors that can quickly overpower a dish. This substitute works best with meats.
• Thyme. It has a wooden flavour, and it can have citrus or mint notes. Use the same amount as you would use salvia.

Sage is readily available in most large grocery stores and specialty markets for fresh look into the vegetables section while the spice racks for the dried one. You can also order it online via amazon.

The following are health benefits of Sage (Salvia officinalis) or Salvia

• Health Benefits of Sage for Protection from Alzheimer’s – Sage has been traditionally used for memory improvement and enhanced “brain” function, delaying onset of age-related cognitive decline. In addition, sage has been shown to delay early cognitive impairment in patients with mild dementia, associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Health Benefits of Salvia for Mental performance – Sage can also improve mental performance in general including memory, alertness, and attention.
• Health Benefits of Sage as a Memory Booster – Sage contains two chemicals, crocin and crocetin, which researchers believe may help learning and memory function.
• Health Benefits of Salvia as an Anti-inflammatory – Sage is beneficial for bodily inflammation, especially for the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems but also for arthritis.
• Health Benefits of Sage against Bad Cholesterol – Sage, taken regularly over several months has been shown to increase good cholesterol levels (HDL) and reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) in people with high cholesterol.
• Health Benefits of Salvia as an Antioxidant: Sage contains powerful antioxidant compounds that help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
• Health Benefits of Sage for Digestion: Calming in nature, sage can aid proper digestion, stimulate stomach acid, bile flow and pancreatic function, for better digestive health.
• Health Benefits of Salvia for Diabetes: Research has discovered sage can help to reduce the number of triglycerides. It also has antihyperglycemic properties. This means it helps lower blood glucose levels by blocking the release of stored glucose from the liver.
• Health Benefits of Sage for Memory: A tonic for the brain, sage helps to sharpen senses; provide clarity of thought, and promote vitality needed for proper cognitive skills.
• Health Benefits of Salvia for Sore Throat: Sage is effective in the treatment of an inflamed throat and tonsils as well as an ulcerated throat.
• Health Benefits of Sage for Anti-ageing: This herb is loaded with calcium and vitamin A, which protect your skin against the assault of free radicals and aid in daily cell regeneration, minimizing and delaying the onset of facial wrinkles.
• Health Benefits of Salvia for Sweating: A recent German study has indicated that taking either a dry leaf extract or an infusion of sage leaf can reduce sweating by as much as 50%. It is a great deodorizer that dries perspiration and helps to eliminate body odor.
• Health Benefits of Sage against Asthma: The antispasmodic effect of sage reduces tension in smooth muscles and can be used for steam inhalation to prevent asthma attacks.
• Health Benefits of Salvia for Women: Its estrogenic effect has been found to be beneficial for women wishing to dry up their breast milk supply or relieve hot flashes during menopause.