Hi I'd appreciate help in identifying this plant. I suspect it is some form of culinary herb but no one I know seems to know what the plant is. Photos attached. thanks
Thanks for the very quick response! Yes you are right. After a bit of a search on the net it looks like this sage can be used for some limited culinary uses such as salads and pie fillings but is not used for much else (other than pot pourri and as a nice plant in the garden). Does anyone know of any other culinary uses? A recipe would be great if you have one. cheers
Apparently not listed at all by S. Facciola in his comprehensive 1998 compendium Cornucopia II - A Source Book of Edible Plants which makes me suspect it must have pretty limited appeal for human consumption.
I have this variety, and this is what I use it for. Salvia macrophyllia can be used in the kitchen, for a number of things besides pie fillings and salads. It is the ideal complement to fowl like chicken and turkey (especially roasted fowl) and has use on the stronger-flavoured fish. You can use it to give a hint of dryness to mustard and an excellent aroma to mayonnaise if you make your own. Sage tea, made by steeping fresh leaves in hot water, is a calming beverage and can help prevent excessive sweating; I find that S. microphylla is a bit milder than "true" cooking sage, which I appreciate in tea. As a strictly aromatic thing, I use sage to scent some of my linens (my own) and lavender for guests; it prevents bugs from eating the fibres. I also hang it, along with lavender and lemongrass, to discourage moths in my woolen cupboard.
