Sage

Species of Salvia

Species name: Salvia officinalis

Food, Plant source foods, Flowering plats (angiospermae), Mesangiosperms, Eudicots, Core eudicots, Superastierds, Asterids, Lamiids (Euasterids I), Lamiales, Lamiaceae, Nepetoideae, Salvia

Consumption area(s): We couldn’t find any reliable data on the availability of this product, but it is presumably mainly consumed in Mediterranean Area (Albania 🇦🇱, Algeria 🇩🇿, Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦, Croatia 🇭🇷, Cyprus 🇨🇾, Egypt 🇪🇬, France 🇫🇷, Greece 🇬🇷, Israel 🇮🇱, Italy 🇮🇹, Lebanon 🇱🇧, Libya 🇱🇾, Malta 🇲🇹, Monaco 🇲🇨, Montenegro 🇲🇪, Morocco 🇲🇦, San Marino 🇸🇲, Slovenia 🇸🇮, Spain 🇪🇸, Syria 🇸🇾, Tunisia 🇹🇳, Turkey 🇹🇷, Vatican City 🇻🇦), Australia 🇦🇺, New Zeland 🇳🇿 but also North and South America

Introduction

Common sage, scientifically known as Salvia officinalis, is a woody, perennial, and evergreen shrub. Native to the Mediterranean region, this plant has been widely dispersed worldwide and has easily adapted to various environments.

Description of the plant

These shrubs generally grow to a height of about 20–40 cm, occasionally reaching 60 cm. They are evergreen perennials with a woody base, classified as suffrutescent chamaephytes, meaning the buds use to survive the winter sit between 2 and 30 cm above the ground, while the soft herbaceous shoots usually die back each year. The entire plant is covered in grayish, woolly hairs and emits a strong aromatic fragrance. In warmer regions, it remains fully evergreen.

The roots are fibrous and sturdy, providing solid anchorage. The stems are heavily branched, woody at the base, and covered with spreading hairs. They have a square cross-section, caused by collenchyma at the four corners, giving them a characteristic rigidity.

Inflorescences emerge from the axils and are made up of verticillasters containing 5–10 flowers, often oriented to one side, producing the typical asymmetrical look of the Lamiaceae family. These whorls are stacked with gaps, and the lower ones are wrapped by a pair of small bracts. Each cluster measures 4–18 cm in length.

The flowers are bisexual, bilaterally symmetrical, tetracyclic, and pentamerous, with five parts per floral whorl. Their length ranges from 17 to 30 mm. The calyx forms a rust-colored tubular structure, fused and zygomorphic, ending in a somewhat two-lipped form: the upper lip has three pointed projections, and the lower one has triangular teeth, with a tube 5–7 mm long and teeth 4–6 mm.

The corolla is bilabiate and fused, with five petals arranged 2/3, the upper lip forming a hood-like curve and the lower lip having three lobes, the central one being the largest and concave. A ring of hairs inside the corolla prevents small, unwanted insects from entering. Flowers are mostly violet, occasionally pinkish or whitish, with tube length 10–15 mm and upper lip 7–10 mm.

The androecium has two fertile stamens (the posterior pair reduced or absent), with parallel filaments and included anthers that operate via a lever mechanism that aids cross-pollination. Pollen grains are tricolpate or hexacolpate. The gynoecium has two fused carpels forming four chambers due to false septa, axile placentation, and four tenuinucellate ovules. The style is filiform and longer than the stamens, ending in a bifid stigma. The nectar disk has four lobes and surrounds the ovary. Flowering occurs from March to May, sometimes extending to July.

The fruit is a tetrachene, roughly ovoid or triangular, containing tiny, dark brown seeds without endosperm; more than 200 seeds weigh one gram.

Reproduction is primarily via insects such as flies and bees, occasionally butterflies, and rarely birds. Fertilization depends on pollination of the flowers, while seed dispersal occurs first via wind and later is enhanced by ants after the seeds reach the ground.

Description of the edible part (leaves)

Leaves grow along the stem in opposite pairs, with each set rotated 90° compared to the one below, creating a distinctive arrangement. The lamina is small and petioled, shaped lanceolate, with a blunt tip, a tapered base, and a crenate margin featuring pinnate venation. They have a soft, felt-like texture, a green-gray hue, and emit a fresh, aromatic scent. Petiole length ranges from 10 to 15 mm, while individual leaves measure approximately 2–3 cm long and 1 cm wide.

Historical profile of sage

In antiquity, the Romans considered sage a sacred herb, incorporating it into their religious rituals and using it to treat ailments such as skin infections and digestive disorders. The plant was also employed to counter snake bites and to stimulate fertility. Theophrastus and Pliny the Elder documented its therapeutic properties, including the ability to stop bleeding and act as a diuretic and local anesthetic. During the Middle Ages, sage was cultivated in monastery gardens, and Charlemagne encouraged its cultivation for its healing properties.

In the medieval period, sage continued to be regarded as a plant of great value. It was described as a curative plant with extraordinary virtues, capable of alleviating a wide range of disorders. Walafrid Strabo, in his poem Hortulus, celebrated its intoxicating fragrance and health-promoting properties. Physicians of the time, such as Dioscorides and Galen, praised sage for its tonic, diuretic, and hemostatic properties. It was also used in infusions and ointments to treat various conditions. Its fame grew so much that the people called it the “saving sage,” a remedy believed capable of curing almost any ailment.

Culinarily, sage is a key ingredient in many gastronomic traditions. In Great Britain, it has been one of the most widely used herbs for centuries, especially for preparing stuffings for meat dishes such as roast turkey, particularly during festive occasions. Italian cuisine, in particular, incorporates it into traditional recipes like saltimbocca alla romana and various meat and fish dishes. In the Middle East and Balkans, sage enriches dishes full of spices and flavors. Despite its presence in many kitchens, sage has never been widely used in French cuisine, where other herbs are preferred for seasoning dishes.

Sage production method

The production method of Salvia officinalis begins with the selection of the most suitable varieties, which can be propagated either from seeds or cuttings. Cuttings are collected during the summer, the ideal period for rooting. These young plants are then planted in well-drained soil, preferably in sunny and dry conditions, which promotes growth and the development of leaves rich in essential oils.

During the growing period, it is essential to keep the soil dry to prevent damage from cold, damp winters. Sage is hardy, but humid climates can compromise its survival, especially if the soil is poorly drained. After harvest, which generally occurs in late spring or summer, the leaves can be dried to preserve their essential oils and aromatic properties. The production of sage does not require significant chemical treatments, making this plant a natural and sustainable choice.

Classification of sage

Sage can be categorized according to different cultivars. Among these are:

• Salvia Alba
• Salvia Aurea
• Salvia Berggarten
• Salvia Extrakta
• Salvia Icterina
• Salvia Lavandulaefolia
• Salvia Purpurascens (or Salvia Purpurea)
• Salvia Tricolor

Nutritional facts table of the leaves

Please note that nutritional values may vary slightly depending on the specific cultivar, but they differ mainly between fresh and dried products.

Nutrients	Fresh leaves (100 g)	Dried leaves (100 g)
Calories (kcal)	24	315
Total fat (g)	0	12.7
———Saturated fat (g)	0	0
Cholesterol (mg)	0	0
Sodium (mg)	0	0
Total carbohydrates (g)	2	60.7
———Dietary fiber (g)	2	22
———Total sugar (g)	0	0
Protein (g)	4	10.6

Recipes that use this product as an ingredient:

Sorana beans “al fiasco” (Fagioli di Sorana al fiasco)