Herb
Common Sage
A tier
Common sage is the grey-green, felted culinary Salvia of stuffing, brown butter, and saltimbocca—resinous, camphor-soft, and powerful enough that a few leaves season a whole pan. Leaves dry well and intensify; fresh leaves fry crisp in butter for pasta and gnocchi. The default when a recipe says only “sage.” Pair with pork, poultry, beans, and squash; go easy in delicate fish dishes. Woody stems are for the bouquet, not the chop.
Track this ingredient
Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
Brown ButterDriedFreshFried LeafStuffing
Traits
Culinary DefaultExcellent DriedGrey GreenResinousSavouryStrong
History
IT
Mediterranean peoples used common sage as food and medicinal herb.
GB
English kitchen gardens fixed common sage for meat stuffings and ales.
Dried common sage became a global poultry-seasoning staple.
Fresh market sage bunches kept common sage as the everyday culinary type.