Introduction

In this article I’d like to talk about one of the most commonly used herbs in Italian cooking. It is one most people have heard of and also encountered in its dry form but it is the Italians who have mastered the use of the fresh herb.

Throughout history the herb sage, a member of the mint family, has been an acclaimed natural remedy. It has been highly valued for both its culinary and health benefits. The word for the herb sage comes from the Latin word, ‘salvia’, which means saviour. Sage has always been related with excellent health and a lengthy life and has been shown to enhance memory and mental function, is used for hot flushes/flashes, and can help improve a whole lot of menopausal symptoms. Additionally, scientists searching for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease have found a potential ally in the herb sage. British scientists carrying out the first clinical trials of the herb sage have found that those who took sage oil capsules performed significantly better in a word recall test. The herb sage has been used for centuries to flavour pork and other meats, in poultry stuffings, fish, salad dressings, and chowders.

Sage the plant

Sage is an astringent, antiseptic, tonic herb, with a camphor-like aroma. It relaxes spasms, suppresses perspiration and lactation, improves liver function and digestion and has anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant and estrogenic (oestrogenic) effects. Over the past 2,000 years or so it has been recommended by herbalists to treat just about every known condition, from snakebite to mental illness

The Herb Garden

Sage has become a popular herb garden shrub with numerous forms and decorative varieties, some gold or variegated. You can grow sage in your garden, although if you live in a cold climate, it will not grow as well as in a warm and sunny country. Other common known names for sage are garden sage and wild sage.

Cooking with Sage

Sage is perfect for stews and casseroles as it withstands lengthy cooking times, but it
is also ideal for quick recipes with meats like a veal or chicken escalope, or to flavour melted butter, used in turn to season fresh pasta. It is the Italians who have perfected the art of cooking with it and it also helps digest grease in fatty foods as an added bonus. Don’t forget that the fresh herb has a better flavour than dried.

Which Foods ?

Sage works well with many types of foods and in many dishes. It is said to have “two lives” as you can either cook it long at lower temps, as when roasting meats or making soups, or use smaller amounts and add at the last minute to foods with more delicate flavours. Sage blends well with mild cheeses; a little is a delightful addition to a grilled cheese sandwich made with Fontina cheese and wholemeal bread.

Recipes

Try some interesting old and new sage recipes such as Lemon Sage Marinade for Chicken, Easy Herb Biscuits, or Veal Ragout with Cepes and Sage. People have been cooking with sage for thousands of yearn: Recipes for sage pancakes have been dated to the 5th century B.C. Unlike most herbs it does not lose it’s flavour if cooked for a long time or at sustained high temperatures

Sage is much too good to bring out only for the holidays

Author Bio: Kath Ibbetson has a BSc, a diploma in aromatherapy and a certificate in counselling. But most of all she is a mother and an enthusiastic Italian cook. Italian food is her passion and she has been cooking it for 30 years. Visit her site at FoodTheItalianWay.com