Dried sage from Sardinia. Sage, which grows easily in Italy, is most often used in the North -- often with melted butter to dress beans or pasta. The beautiful thing about this particular sage is the way it comes back to life when refreshed in a sauce. (Most commercial sage is dried so quickly that vital nutrients are leeched out and can't be reconstituted when cooked.) Its pungent, slightly bitter taste is an appropriate foil for sweet butter, but sage is also apt company for pork, cheese and poultry stuffing. The name is derived from the Latin, salvus, meaning "safe," a reference to its believed healing powers. Note: Because these herbs are dried naturally (thus retaining more of their flavor and nutrients) and packed in airtight containers, they stay fresh longer than most supermarket brands. This sage is harvested by the De Col Piras family in Sardinia. Featured in Bon Appetit's May 2002 Islands of the Mediterranean issue.Paul Ferrari searched for more than a year for Italian herbs that retain their flavor and freshness even after bottling. He thinks these wild hers from the De col Piras family in southern Sardegna are phenomenal. Organically grown and naturally sun dried, this herb puts supermarket brands to shame. We carry 10 varieties of wild Sardianane herbs and spices, each one hand picked, then hand packed in clear jars.
