herbs of the genus Satureja, in the mint family, indigenous to S. Europe and the Mediterranean region. Summer savory (S. hortensis) and winter savory (S. montana) are the best-known species.
Classical Greeks, who knew it as thymbra, and Romans both made much use of savory in medicine and cookery. The several species known in Greece, including S. thymbra, were recognized by Roman writers on farming as being distinct from the Italian kind, which they called cunila or, colloquially, satureia; it is this that we now know as summer savory. It was used as a condiment and to flavour pickles and sauces. Virgil recommended it, along with thyme, for planting near beehives.
Savory remained important in medieval Europe. It occurs, as saetherie, in an Anglo-Saxon medical text of about ad 1000. By the 16th century its English name had become savourie, and it was an important ingredient in stuffings.
Summer savory has narrow dark green leaves, which are highly aromatic with a peppery flavour. It is a good flavouring for poultry, meat, soups, eggs, salads, or sauces and can be used, like parsley, as a garnish. In continental Europe it is often known as the ‘bean herb’ (cf. Bohnenkraut, the German name) as it brings out the taste of beans, peas, and lentils. The leaves also yield a spicy essential oil which has a sharp bitter flavour and is used in the food industry as a flavouring.
Summer savory was one of the first plants introduced to N. America by the colonists. It is now grown commercially in California.
Winter savory, S. montana, is sharper and spicier than S. hortensis. It is also used in stuffings, marinades, and pickles.
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.
