Salvia officinalis, a perennial and evergreen herb of the mint family. It belongs to S. Europe and Asia Minor, but is now cultivated for culinary use in most temperate regions of the world. That grown in Dalmatia, on the Adriatic coast, is considered to be among the best.
In the classical world and medieval times the uses of sage were medicinal. However, although it retains to this day a reputation for restorative powers, sage gradually lost its importance in medicine and acquired instead, by the 16th century, a number of uses in European kitchens.
Sage is commonly used in Italy, e.g. in Fegato alla salvia (liver with sage) and also with eel at Venice (a practice echoed in Germany), besides many other dishes. In England the combination of sage and onion to make a savoury stuffing (for pork or goose or in sausages) is common. In N. America, according to Rosengarten (1969), sage was for a time the most favoured culinary herb of all.
Generally, the robust flavour of sage is better suited to hearty dishes than to subtle ones. But what is called (for the obvious reason) Greek sage, S. fruticosa, is milder than S. officinalis and can be used with greater freedom.
Of the many other species in the genus, S. rutilans, called pineapple sage because of its pineapple scent, is one of those used as a flavouring for food, especially desserts. Another is S. lavandulifolia, which has a lavender scent. S. clevelandii, the blue sage of western N. America, is a third.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
Rosengarten, Frederic, Jr (1969), The Book of Spices, Wynnewood, Pa.: Livingston.
