Savory

Savory: History and Complete Culinary Guide

Savory encompasses two closely related Mediterranean herbs: summer savory (Satureja hortensis), an annual with a relatively delicate peppery-thyme character, and winter savory (S. montana), a perennial with a more robust, resinous character. Both have ancient culinary and medicinal histories: savory is mentioned in Roman texts and was used by the ancient Greeks. The German name "Bohnenkraut" (bean herb) reflects savory's most important culinary pairing — it has a traditional association with broad beans, runner beans, and dried bean preparations across Central European cooking, where it both complements the flavour and is reputed to reduce the flatulence caused by beans. In Provence, savory (sarriette) is a component of herbes de Provence. In Bulgaria, dried summer savory (chubritza) is a defining herb of the national spice blend sharena sol (colourful salt) and appears on every table as a condiment.

Culinary Uses

Use in bean soups and stews — savory with beans is one of the most ancient and enduring herb pairings in European cooking. Add to pork and sausage preparations. Use in stuffings alongside thyme, sage, and bay. Add to lentil soups. Use in mixed herb preparations as an alternative to or alongside thyme. In Bulgarian and Eastern European cooking, use as a table condiment blended with salt and paprika. Savory pairs with pork, beans, lentils, lamb, and robust vegetable preparations.