Savory is a peppery, thyme-like herb of the mint family, grown as annual summer savory and perennial winter savory. It is the classic European herb for beans and pulses.
What it is¶
Savory is a small, bushy, aromatic herb closely related to thyme and oregano. There are two kinds in common use:
- Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) is a hardy annual with soft, narrow leaves and small pale pink or white flowers. It is the milder and more delicate of the two, and the one most cooks prefer.
- Winter savory (Satureja montana) is a low, woody, evergreen perennial with tougher, glossier leaves. It is stronger, more resinous and slightly bitter, and it can be picked through the winter.
Savory's German name, Bohnenkraut, means "bean herb", and that sums up its reputation: it has been paired with beans, lentils and other pulses across Europe for centuries. It is also an important herb in Bulgaria (chubritsa), Romania (cimbru) and in the cooking of Atlantic Canada.
Origins and history¶
Savory was known to the Greeks and Romans, and Roman writers describe it as a seasoning; it was used in sauces and with vinegar in the way pepper was, and some accounts suggest it was a cheaper alternative. The Romans probably helped carry it north, and by the Middle Ages both kinds were grown in physic and monastery gardens across Europe. English herbalists of the 16th and 17th centuries recommended it with beans and peas.
Early European settlers took it to North America. It remains a signature flavour in Newfoundland and Acadian cooking, where dried summer savory seasons the bread stuffing ("dressing") for poultry and pork. In Bulgaria, dried chubritsa is ground with salt, paprika and fenugreek to make sharena sol, "colourful salt", which sits on the table like salt and pepper.
A related species, Satureja thymbra, grows wild around the eastern Mediterranean and is one of several different herbs sold under the name za'atar (see zaatar).
Flavour and aroma¶
Savory tastes like a more peppery, more pungent thyme. Summer savory has a warm, herbaceous, slightly minty sharpness with a real peppery bite on the tongue; winter savory is more piney, resinous and bitter, closer to a mix of thyme and sage.
Both owe their character mainly to carvacrol, the phenol that also dominates oregano, with thymol and γ-terpinene in varying amounts. Savory holds its flavour well when dried and stands up to long cooking.
In the kitchen¶
Savory is a cooking herb rather than a garnish: it is at its best in dishes that simmer, braise or roast.
- Beans and pulses. Add a sprig of fresh savory or ½–1 tsp of dried to a pot of broad beans, green beans, white beans or lentils. A classic German dish is grüne Bohnen (green beans) with savory and bacon; Swiss and Alsatian cooks do much the same.
- Stuffings. For a Newfoundland-style dressing, mix about 1 tbsp dried summer savory with 250 g breadcrumbs, a softened onion and butter.
- Bulgarian cooking. Chubritsa seasons bean soup (bob chorba), stews such as gyuvech, meatballs and grilled meats, and sharena sol is sprinkled on bread with butter or oil.
- Meat. Winter savory suits fatty meats, sausages, pork, lamb and game, and can be used in place of thyme in stews and marinades.
- Blends. Savory (sarriette) is a traditional Provençal herb and appears in many versions of herbes de provence.
🔁 Savory for pepper
Because of its peppery bite, savory was historically treated as a seasoning. It works well in low-salt cooking: a little dried summer savory brightens soups and pulses without extra salt.
Use winter savory more sparingly than summer savory, perhaps two-thirds as much, as its bitterness builds in long cooking.
Buying and storing¶
Fresh savory is rarely sold; dried summer savory is the most common form, available from specialist spice merchants and Eastern European and Canadian grocers. Keep dried savory in an airtight jar away from light and heat, and replace after about a year.
Fresh sprigs keep for about a week wrapped in damp paper in the fridge. Savory dries very easily: hang bunches of summer savory just as it starts to flower, then strip and store. See drying herbs.
Substitutes¶
Thyme is the closest substitute, especially with a pinch of black pepper to replace savory's bite. A blend of thyme with a little oregano or sage approximates winter savory. Marjoram works in delicate dishes as a stand-in for summer savory.
Pairs well with¶
Broad beans, green beans, white beans and lentils; potatoes; tomatoes; pork, lamb, sausages and game; thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, paprika and garlic; goat's cheese.
Growing your own¶
Summer savory is a hardy annual, easy from seed.
- Sow outdoors in late spring once the soil has warmed, or indoors in April for planting out after the last frost. Sow thinly on the surface or barely cover, as the seed needs light to germinate.
- Grow in full sun in light, well-drained soil; thin to about 15–20 cm apart.
- Pinch tips to encourage bushiness, and harvest regularly. Cut whole plants for drying as they start to flower.
Winter savory is a hardy, compact perennial that behaves like thyme.
- Grow from seed, cuttings or plants in full sun and very free-draining, even poor, soil; it dislikes winter wet.
- It makes a good low edging plant and suits pots and rock gardens.
- Trim after flowering to keep it compact and replace plants every few years when they become woody.
Both are loved by bees. See annual and perennial herbs.