“The young sow wild oats; the old sow sage,” goes the adage. Arabians associated sage with immortality while the Romans called it salva, or in Latin, to “heal” or “save.” (Hence, the modern-day word “salvation.”) There are hundreds of varieties of sage, ranging from the purple-flowered common sage to the more exotic varieties like pineapple sage and peach sage. In the 1500s, sage tea and sage beer became popular in England.
That popularity crossed over to America, where sage became the main flavor in stuffings and pork sausages. This strong herb complements strong English cheeses like Cheddar and Derby and is also a very good accompaniment to corn-based dishes such as cornbread and corn chowder. Its leaves are very thick and almost furry–if you dry your own, make sure that it is completely dry before you cap it and store it.
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Tags: american, herb history, roman, sage
