Summer savory

Appearance

This herb has lilac tubular flowers which bloom from July to September. It grows to around 30 to 60 cm in height and has very slender, bronze-green leaves.

Naming

Summer savory is called ''cimbru'' in Romanian and is used in Romanian cuisine, especially in Sarmale .

Summer savory is called ''borsikafű'' in Hungarian, ''Bohnenkraut'' in German, ''sarriette'' in French, θρούμπι, ''throúbi'', in Greek, ''cząber ogrodowy'' in Polish, ''ajadrea'' in Spanish, and ''santoreggia'' in Italian.

Uses

Summer savory is a traditional popular herb in Atlantic Canada, where it is used in the same way sage is elsewhere. It is the main flavoring in dressing for many fowl, mixed with ground pork and other basic ingredients to create a thick meat dressing known as "cretonade", which is excellent with turkey, goose and duck. It also is used to make stews such as fricot, and in meat pies. It is usually available year-round in local grocery stores in dried form and is used in varying proportions, sometimes added to recipes in large generous heaping spoonfuls , and sometimes more subtly . Summer savory is a characteristic ingredient of herbes de Provence, a fairly standard mixture of dried herbs sold in most French food stores. It is also widely used as a seasoning for grilled meats and barbecues, as well as in stews and sauces.

Summer savory is preferred over winter savory for use in sausages because of the sweeter, more delicate aroma. It plays an important role in Bulgarian cuisine , providing a strong and pungent flavor to the most simple and the most extravagant of dishes. Instead of salt and pepper, a Bulgarian table will have three condiments: salt, paprika and savory. When these are mixed it is called sharena sol .



Is reported to be a helpful expectorant for lungs and head, a useful digestive aid for flatulence and colic, a general tonic and for the prevention of diarrhea. Rubbing a sprig of Summer Savory on a bee or wasp sting is said to give instant relief.

Summer Savory is raised from seeds, sown early in April, in shallow drills, 9 inches or a foot apart. Select a sunny situation and thin out the seedlings, when large enough, to 6 inches apart in the rows. It likes a rich, light soil.

The seeds may also be sown broadcast, when they must be thinned out, the thinned out seedlings being planted in another bed at 6 inches distance from each other and well watered. The seeds are very slow in germinating.