Herb. No. 150 · Lamiaceae
Eastern Mediterranean annual. The bean-herb of Central European pots.
Native · Mediterranean
Native Also grown
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Summer savory
Satureja hortensis
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The bean herb — a peppery summer mint that German and Balkan kitchens still put in the pot with pulses.
Summer savory is a Mediterranean annual mint, peppery and thyme-like. Traditional use is with beans, to flavor and, folklore says, to tame the wind. Culinary amounts are gentle. Winter savory is a shrubby perennial with a harsher leaf. This plate is the annual you sow with the beans.
Flavor
Pepper, thyme, a little pine. Dried is toastier; fresh is greener.
Parts used
Aerial parts
Helpful
- Easy from seed
- The authentic bean herb
Cautions
- Annual only
- Easy to confuse with winter savory in a nursery