Sage (Ground)

PURPOSE

WHAT IS IT?

Burning question: What is ground sage, versus “rubbed?”  Ground is a powder. Rubbed is similar to “crushed” in that it’s bigger, more irregular pieces of the herb’s leaves.

The more that the spice is broken down, the more likely that you lose some of the potency of the essential oils in the leaves.  Ground is best bought in quantities that you use up more quickly.

Why use ground? When you need the convenience, and volume, without grinding it yourself, for recipes where the texture needs to be more neutral. If you have a mortar/pestle, or a spice mill, or coffee grinder that you can clean thoroughly enough to grind spices, you may be better off with whole, or rubbed, sage.

Also consider Dalmatian Sage, which has more of the essential oils that have that big sage savory enhancing flavor.

EXPERIENCE

Ground sage is aromatic. Sage, especially in this form, is a mostly role player in cuisines, a secondary, or background note in the group of spices. It has a dusky flavor that accentuates basic culinary savory vegetables like onion, and garlic, and pops contrast flavors like celery, and bell pepper too.  It has less of the camphor flavor that other sage varietals like Dalmatian sage, possess. For some recipes, though, that more muted tone is more appropriate for use in the recipe.

CULINARY GEOGRAPHY

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Sage is native to a range of coastal regions that starts in the North at the Western Balkan Peninsula, across the Apennine Peninsula, down to Italy.  Commercially, today, it is grown throughout Southern and South-Central Europe, and in other parts of the world. One sub-group makes up all of the commercial seed/plant production.

Rubbed sage from our recommended supplier comes from Albania.

TRADITIONAL USES

• Turkey and its stuffing (dressing) recipes;
• Roasted root vegetables;
• Roasted chicken;
• Squash ravioli.

A FEW IMPROVISATIONAL RIFFS:

• Scallop and pancetta raviolis in sage browned butter;
• Vegan meetloaf with five mushrooms;
• Stir-fry shrimp and poblano peppers in sage-ghee over saifun;
• Rubbed sage and ghee parsnips.

THE BACKSTORY

Sage’s “roots” trace back at least 20,000 years ago. It was one of the hearty plants to survive the last glacial period that descended upon Europe. It grows natively in arid rocky coastal soils. The herb has been used by the peoples of Europe for millennia as an aromatic for both cooking, and as a decorative, making living spaces smell better.

AKA

• 智者 [zhì zhě]
• adaçayı
• akja
• ba
• Culinary sage
• esikweyoku
• gardada
• Garden Sage
• Hiền nhân
• i urtë
• isilumko
• kadulja
• kākāʻōlelo
• Kitchen sage
• mavrak
• mukhang matalino
• olon-kendry
• Red Sage
• sabio
• sábio
• saets
• sage
• saggio
• šalavijas
• Salbei
• salbia
• salie
• salvei
• šalvěj
• Salvia Officinalis
• salvia
• sàlvia
• šalvia
• salvie
• salvija
• salvio
• salvja
• saoi
• sauge
• saviu
• Sawge
• şehrezayî
• szałwia
• tagata poto
• tchire
• umunyabwenge
• xikmadda leh
• žajbelj
• žalfija
• zsálya
• σοφός [sofós]
• акыл иясе
• градински чай
• мудрац
• мэргэн
• шавлія [shavliya]
• шалфей
• եղեսպակ
• חָכָם
• סאַגע
• بابا
• حکیم
• ጠቢብ
• ऋषि
• साधू
• ঋষি
• ਰਿਸ਼ੀ
• ઋષિ
• ଷି
• முனிவர்
• సేజ్
• ಸಂತ
• മുനി
• අග්ගිස්
• ปราชญ์
• ပညာရှိ
• ឥសី
• 세이지 [seiji]
• セージ

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