The leaves are oval-shaped and tapered, with a slightly fuzzy look and feel, reminiscent of soft velvet. The signature grey-green hue is so iconic, that a whole color is named after it. Sage has a cottony, spongy texture when raw, so though it’s safe to eat it this way, it’s more pleasant when cooked.
How to Cook with Sage
Fresh or dried, sage is often used in cooked dishes, rather than ones like salad. This is partly because of the types of foods sage pairs best with: pork, poultry, beans, and winter squash. It’s a popular seasoning in the cozy fall foods we crave once a chill sets in.
When cooking with fresh sage, chop the leaves up finely. To do this, stack three or four flat on top of each other, then roll them up tightly to form a cigar. Slice it finely crosswise.
Whole fresh sage leaves can be quickly deep-fried to use as a crispy garnish, like in this Cheesy Risotto with Leeks and Crispy Sage. They’re also added to brown butter to make a sauce that can stand up to bold ingredients, like our Pasta with Butternut Squash, Bacon, and Brown Butter recipe.
A hefty dose of dried sage gives breakfast sausage its trademark flavor. You can even add a little extra dried sage to recipes calling for sausage, as we do in our Biscuits and Gravy Casserole.
Sage gives an alluring edge to hearty dishes. Sage is no shrinking violet, so pair it with ingredients that can stand up to its might.
What Is Sage?
Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a perennial herb in the mint family. Highly aromatic, it is used fresh and dried in stuffings, soups, sausages, and meat dishes.
Sage leaves are 2 to 3 inches long and are tapered. They can have a silvery look, in part because they’re soft and fuzzy (a common characteristic of plants in the mint family).
Culinary sage is different from the woody shrub sagebrush, which is not even in the same plant family.
Sage Leaf Benefits, Two Lesser-Known Herbal Uses
FAQ
How can you tell if sage is fresh?
Do you wash sage leaves before cooking?
What does natural sage look like?
What do Sage leaves look like?
Unlike rosemary, thyme, or parsley, sage leaves have a large oblong shape and often appear to have a fuzzy white outer texture, similar to peaches. While it’s common to find fresh sage leaves in this form, you’ll also find sage leaves dried and minced or “rubbed,” often in the spice aisle.
What is the difference between cabbage and lettuce?
Though both the green leafy vegetables look alike, cabbage belongs to the brassicaceae family whereas lettuce belons to asteraceae family. Moreover, cabbage has high amounts of vitamin-c, which is almost 50 % more than that of lettuce. The fiber content of cabbage is also higher than lettuce while the former and latter has same amounts of sodium and potassium levels. Typically, lettuce is mostly consumed raw in wraps, salads, soups etc. whereas raw cabbage has strong flavor and thus is mostly partially or completely cooked.
What does a white sage look like?
White Sage (Salvia apiana) Salvia apiana, the white sage , bee sage, or sacred sage is an evergreen perennial shrub that grows rapidly to 3 or 4 feet tall, with white flower spikes shooting up sometimes 8 feet or more. The leaves (about 1.5-3 inches long) are covered with dense hairs, which give them a white coloring, sometimes with a bluish tint.
How do you know if Sage is fresh?
When buying fresh sage, use the same basic rules you’d use for any herbs: If it looks bright and fresh, with plump leaves and a vibrant color, then it’s going to taste bright and fresh. Avoid sage that has yellowed leaves or doesn’t stand up straight when you hold it up by the stem.