What is Summer Savory?

Summer savory is an annual herb that boasts rosemary and thyme as its relatives. Though it is a herb, this plant has lilac flowers that bloom from July to September if they are grown in nature to around 30-60cm in height. This herb is most popular in Canada where it is used as an alternative for sage, forming the base for fowl dressings alongside ground pork and other ingredients. This forms a cretonade which is typically served with turkey, goose, or duck. It can also be used in stews and pies. In its original raw form, savory is also used as a seasoning for grilled meats and barbecues.

Compared to its polar opposite, winter savory, summer savory is preferred due to its sweeter aroma. Winter savory is bitter and does not suit dishes as well as summer savory, which is used in Bulgarian and Romanian cuisine as well. However, summer savory takes a long time to germinate, which is why we recommend you to use our aspara machine to facilitate and speed up the process.

As well as being used in food, ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all thought summer savory to be an aphrodisiac and associated it with supernatural beings and lust. In fact, the Druids actually used it in their rituals to celebrate the fertility that comes with summer. Nowadays, it can also be found in the medicine cabinet as some believe it can help ease a sore throat or act as an antiseptic gargle. Some of its other suspected properties include enhancing one’s appetite and helping alleviate asthma and colic.