Culinary Sage

Culinary sage is a well-loved staple of many European cuisines – notably Italian, Balkan, and Middle Eastern cookery. It is one of the essential herbs – along with parsley, rosemary, and thyme – as in the folk song “Scarborough Fair.” The Romans referred to sage as the “holy herb” and employed it in their religious rituals for warding off evil. Sage appears in recipes for Four Thieves Vinegar, a blend of herbs which was supposed to ward off the plague.