The savory herb is a peppery cooking herb in the genus Satureja. It sits in the same mint family as basil and thyme. Most cooks have eaten it many times without ever knowing the name. It hides inside that jar of herbes de Provence in your cabinet. It also flavors countless bean dishes across Europe. The taste is sharp and a bit spicy. That bold note is where the word savory comes from.
There are about 30 species in the genus, but only two matter in your kitchen. The first is summer savory, and the second is winter savory. They look alike at a glance, yet they grow in different ways. They also carry different strengths of flavor. Knowing which one you have changes how much you should add to the pot. If you grab the wrong one and use a heavy hand, your dish can turn harsh in a hurry.
Summer savory is an annual, so it sprouts, flowers and dies all in one season. It grows tall and loose, reaching 12 to 18 in (30 to 45 cm). Its flavor stays soft and gentle, which makes it the friendlier pick for most home cooks. Winter savory is a perennial that comes back year after year from the same woody base. It stays low and compact at 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm), and it packs a much bolder, sharper punch. If you buy a small pot at the garden center, check the label so you know which kind you are taking home. Most cooks favor the annual because it is easier to chop and less likely to turn bitter.
This Satureja herb comes from the warm, dry hills around the Mediterranean. It thrives in poor, rocky soil and full sun, much like its cousins oregano and rosemary. If you want to grow your own, give it the driest, sunniest spot you have. People have grown it for well over 2,000 years, and the Romans used it long before black pepper became cheap and common. That long history is one reason you keep finding it in so many old regional recipes. When you spot savory on an ingredient list, you now know it traces back to those sun-baked southern hills.
The link to beans runs deep. The German name for savory is Bohnenkraut, which means bean herb in plain terms. Germans drop a sprig into the pot when they cook green beans or dried beans. The herb does two jobs at once. It adds a warm, peppery note, and many cooks swear it makes the beans easier to digest. You will find the same trick in French, Bulgarian and Greek kitchens, so try it the next time you simmer a pot of your own.
So how should you use the savory herb at home? Reach for it when you want a flavor that sits between black pepper and thyme, with a hint of marjoram behind it. It works in bean stews, lentil soups, sausages, stuffings and slow-cooked meats. Add summer savory near the end of cooking so its softer aroma stays bright. Toss in the tougher winter type early, since its woody leaves need time to soften and release their oils. A good rule for you: start with half a teaspoon of the dried herb per pot, taste, then add more. Once you cook with it a few times, that quiet jar in your cabinet finally makes sense.
Read the full article: Savory Herb: Flavor, Growing and Uses
