Like many herbs and spices, savory is indigenous to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. Today, several varieties of both summer and winter savory are cultivated worldwide - summer savory for cooking, winter savory for herbal and medicinal extracts. History The old English word "saverey" was derived from the Latin "satureia" meaning "satyr's herb." It has been associated with love potions for centuries. The famous French herbalist Maurice Mességué suggested savory instead of ginseng to help couples restore happiness in the bedroom. Romans used savory as a medicinal and culinary herb long before they discovered pepper. They used it as a medicinal herb for bee stings, and as an aphrodisiac. Shakespeare wrote of savory, and the herb was taken to North America by early settlers to remind them of their English gardens. Through the centuries, both summer and winter savory have been used to soothe stomach pains, curb flatulence, to promote the health of female reproductive system, and as an aphrodisiac. Properties Winter savory, and its annual cousin summer savory, are known mainly as culinary herbs, though they do possess medicinal properties. Savory is a carminative herb recommended for gas and digestive upsets, including colic, diarrhea and indigestion. Its antiseptic and astringent properties make it a good treatment for sore throats. A poultice of the leaves gives quick relief to insect bites. Savory leaves and tender shoots carry high-quality chemical compounds that are known to have anti-oxidant, disease preventing and health promoting properties. Savory leaves contain many essential oil phenols such as thymol, which is scientifically proven to have antiseptic, anti-fungal characteristics. Another, carvacrol, inhibits the growth of several bacteria strains like E. coli, and Bacillus cereus. Carvacrol, therefore, has been used as healthy food additive for its anti-bacterial properties. Savory 's leaves and tender shoots are also one of the richest sources of potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and selenium. The herb is also a rich in many important vitamins such as B-complex group vitamins, vitamin-A, vitamin-C, niacin, thiamin and pyridoxine. Our savory At Naturellement Chouette we have given savory the place it deserves in our fields and in our recipes. It is an essential ingredient of both VAM and Herbosel...
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