Savory
Savories are herbs in the genus Satureja. The genus is in the mint family, Lamiaceae, and is related to sages, mints, and thymes.
The genus contains about 40 species native to the Mediterranean Basin and Central Asia. Most Satureja species are aromatic, but two species are especially used in cooking: summer savory and winter savory.
Species
Savories
Summer savory (Satureja hortensis)
Winter savory (Satureja montana)
Creeping savory (Satureja spicigera)
Pink savory (Satureja thymbra)
Of the two species, summer savory (Satureja hortensis) is the most commonly used. Summer savory is an annual species. As a result, it is only available fresh during its growing season, but it is used dried throughout the rest of the year. The plant is native to a wide area across Europe and Central Asia, even reaching Xinjiang in western China. It has also been introduced widely throughout other parts of Europe and Asia, and has naturalized in the northeast of North America. It is very likely to have naturalized elsewhere in the United States. It can be grown anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.
Winter savory (Satureja montana) is perennial. It succeeds in most of the Pacific Northwest, with the exception of only the coldest parts of our region. It is slightly less hardy than summer savory. Winter savory is nature to areas around the Mediterranean. There is also a lemon-scented variety known as S. montana var. citriodora.
Other species, such as creeping savory (Satureja spicigera) and pink savory (Satureja thymbra) can also be of use. The hardiness of both species is comparable to that of winter savory, and both are perennial.
Cooking with savory
Although summer savory is the more popular of the two species, both are very similar in flavor. Winter savory is slightly more pungent, but in practical terms, the difference is minor. I find savory similar to thyme but with an earthy note that is reminiscent of mushrooms. It can definitely be used anywhere thyme is.
Savory works especially well with legumes. Beans and lentils are delicious cooked with it. It is common in many cuisines, including Italy, the Balkans, and West Asia. It is also popular in Canadian and French-Canadian cooking.
In Switzerland, summer savory is commonly provided as a condiment for raclette cheese, which is where I first knew it from. I never really ate it with much else, but my family always had “sarriette” (the French name for savory) on the table when eating raclette.
