Botanical atlas

Winter Savory

Satureja montana

Winter savory has flavored Mediterranean kitchens since Roman times, when Pliny the Elder wrote of savory being pressed into sauces and vinegars for its warm, peppery bite. Cooks have long called it the bean herb, tucking a sprig into pots of lentils and beans in the belief that it settled the stomach and eased the gassiness those foods can bring. Herbalists of old also turned to it for coughs, sore throats, and sluggish digestion, brewing the leaves into simple teas passed down through generations of home kitchens. It has held its place in the garden for thousands of years, valued as much for its hardy, evergreen nature as for its bite.

Safety.

Safe in the amounts used for cooking and mild teas. The essential oil is highly concentrated and shouldn't be taken internally or applied undiluted to skin.