Sage

Salvia officinalisL.

Sage: from the latin salvia(m), from salvus, saved, in good health, due to the plant's beneficial qualities.

Culinary use

Amongst all the Sages, the only undisputed queen in the kitchen is the Salvia officinalis, a vital element of Mediterranean cuisine.
Its unmistakable aroma enhances any meat dish, particularly roasts, broiled birds, stuffed duck and goose; stuffing, soused vegetables, boiled beans, omelets, sauces; eels, Ligurian focaccia with Sage, condiments made consisting of butter, cream and Sage, particularly recommended for gnocchi and ravioli. Amongst its lesser known uses: a few Sage leaves to aromatize the water in which chestnuts are boiled; hot wine spiced with Sage leaves; Sage tea; vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and butter aromatized with Sage.

Medicinal properties

Sage, which owes it properties to Jupiter's powerful influx, is a plant which has over time been attributed with many virtues, even magical, so much so that it has been termed savior Sage and Sacred Plant. Amid true and supposed virtues, folk medicine credits Sage with an extensive list of properties: antidepressant, antidiarrheal, antiseptic and astringent of the intestinal mucosa; antiperspirant, antispasmodic, balsamic in the case of chronic catarrh, asthma and tuberculosis; expectorant, cholagogue, digestive, emmenagogue, anti-galactophage, hepatic, hypoglycemic, resolutive, tonic for the nervous system and perhaps many others.

Cosmetic use

Sage lotion darkens and leaves hair soft and shiny; another recipe, with the addition of rum, is considered effective against hair loss; the decoction is advised as a skin tonic, cleanser and astringent; fumigations with Sage leaves in boiling water ensure a deep cleansing of the face; rubbing your teeth with a Sage leaf makes them glossy, it cures gums and purifies the breath.