Lamiaceae – Lamiaceae (Labiatae).
Parts Used: Whole flowering herb.
Pharmacy name: savory herb – Saturejae hcrba (formerly: Herba Saturejae), savory essential oil – Saturejae aetheroleum (formerly: Oleum Saturejae).
Botanical description.It is a herbaceous plant, 30-40 cm tall, strongly branching from the base. On a more or less hairy stem are lanceolate, gradually pointed leaves, which bear purple to white flowers in axils. It usually blooms from July to September. The ancient homeland of savory is the region of the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean. Like many fragrant herbs, this one was brought to us in the Alps by the Benedictines, bred in gardens. It has been cultivated as a medicinal plant and spice since the time of Charlemagne. Every housewife who has at her disposal at least a piece of the garden is obliged to try to grow it. Savory seeds are sown in April in loose soil on a well-warmed, wind-protected plot of the garden in rows, at a distance of 25 cm from each other. For normal home use, approximately 15 g of seeds will be needed.
Collection and preparation. Grass should be harvested during flowering and air dried. As a seasoning, young leaves can be plucked every day, however, dried savory is an excellent strong spice. Along with the annual, a powerful perennial mountain savory is also used, which occurs in 2 forms – recumbent and upright. The action and application of all types is almost the same.
Active ingredients: essential oil, tannins, bitterness, sitosterol, ursolic acid. Savory essential oil consists of carvacrol, cymo-la, thymol, depentene, phenol, etc.
Healing action and application. Savory has a positive effect on the secretion of juices in the gastrointestinal tract. Aiding digestion, it is equally suitable as a remedy for bloating and to stimulate the appetite. With fermentative diarrhea, it gives a noticeable improvement after a short time, most likely caused by essential oil. Along with this, savory herb in the form of tea is also used for coughs and runny noses.
- Savory tea: 2 teaspoons of savory are poured into 1/4 liter of boiling water, infused for 10 minutes, filtered and drunk warm. When used against coughs, it is recommended to sweeten with honey.
Use as a condiment.Savory plays a prominent role in home cooking. Its taste is fragrant-sharp to bitter. They are desirable to season heavy foods, such as fried potatoes with bacon, bean dishes, sausage, minced meat and “heavy roasts”. Savory is also excellent for a peasant breakfast (fried potatoes with lard and eggs). In dietary cuisine, savory is allowed, but you should not abuse it. Together with basil, it can replace salt and pepper. The use in folk medicine is similar to that described in the section “Healing action and use”. In addition to other remedies, savory baths can also be recommended for children with whooping cough and asthmatics. Be guided by the recommendations for the use of thyme for therapeutic baths. In general, in very old herbals, no distinction is made between thyme, oregano, and savory.
- Bath with savory: 100 g of savory is poured into 1 liter of boiling water and infused for 20 minutes. Then filter and pour the infusion into a bath filled with water.
Side effects are unknown, but try not to overdose.