SAGE is the leaves of a small evergreen plant. Its strong, complex taste is best known as a flavoring for stuffing and sausages. When preparing foods such as TVP, tempeh, or seitan, all of which can be used as meat substitutes, seasoning with sage can add to the meatlike sensation.

Sage may also be used, rather sparingly, in salad dressings, grain dishes (try it on wild rice pilaf) and soups, particularly pumpkin or squash soups. Dried leaf sage is preferable to ground sage. sage is used as a commonly used spice.

The leaf is used to make medicine. Sage is used for digestive problems, including loss of appetite, gas (flatulence), stomach pain (gastritis), diarrhea, bloating, and heartburn. It is also used for reducing overproduction of perspiration and saliva; and for depression, memory loss, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Women use sage for painful menstrual periods, to correct excessive milk flow during nursing, and to reduce hot flashes during menopause. Sage is applied directly to the skin for cold sores; gum disease (gingivitis); sore mouth, throat or tongue; and swollen, painful nasal passages. Some people inhale sage for asthma.

In manufacturing, sage is used as a fragrance component in soaps and cosmetics.