Herb
Purple Sage
B tier
Purple sage is the market name for purple-leaved culinary sage (often Purpurascens types)—same resinous kitchen role as grey sage with violet new growth for colour. Flavour holds for butter sauces and pork. Gardeners love the contrast; cooks should taste leaves as they green with age, when intensity matches common sage.
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Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
FreshFriedGarnishSauce
Traits
Colour AccentCulinaryDecorativePurplePurple LeafResinousSavoury
History
Nursery trade sold purple sage as an ornamental form of cooking sage.
Herb gardens featured purple sage beside golden and tricolor types.
Chefs used purple sage leaves as edible colour on savoury plates.
Purple sage remained a standard dual-purpose garden centre herb.