Salvia Officinalis
Family: Labiatae
English: Sage
This grey-green with hairy leaves and terminal heads of violet flowers plant grows in abundance on the hills and mountains of Crete. It has aroused considerable interest among botanists and physicians owing to its significant therapeutic qualities. This explains its Latin name "Salvia" from the Latin root salvare meaning to save.
Ancient Greek botanists and physicians, for example Theofrastus, Dioscurides and Hippocrates, were familiar with the therapeutic qualities and applications of sage. Dioscurides reports sage as balsam for sore eyes and effective medicine for hemorrhage. In antiquity sage infusions were believed to restore memory and increase life expectancy.
In Greece, and the entire Balkan region in general, sage oil was used extensively as popular medicine against headaches, mouth ulcers, tonsilitis, also for massaging the abdominal area to relieve pain. Sage infusions are recommended for relieving colds, sore throat and the flu. It aids digestion and restores peptic functions. In addition, the oil of Salvia sclarea is used in aromatherapy applications.
On Crete sage is also used in the process of smoking sausages because it imparts its aroma to the meat. In addition, the traditional hard bread of Crete tastes better if you insert twigs of sage in the wood-fired oven. There is a traditional recipe for fried pork liver where sage substitutes rosemary. Fresh sage leaves are usually inserted into legumes packs to ward off bugs.
Popular Greek names:
"Faskomilo", "Mountain tea", "Faskomilia" "Hamomilia".
