Saturejka, part of the Provençal seasoning, which can be used very easily on its own. What dishes does it go well with?

Do you like French or Balkan cuisine?

In that case, you can’t do without a saturejka.

Its taste and aroma go well with many meat and vegetable dishes.

It has a very beneficial effect on our digestive system and anyone can grow it.

Did you know that in the past it was used as a substitute for expensive pepper and as an aphrodisiac?

Follow the footsteps of this interesting plant with us.

What is a saturday?

Like most other plants native to the Mediterranean region, sage is a herb and a spice in one. Think you’ve never tasted it? The fact that it is an important part of the popular Provençal spice may convince you that this is not true.

It belongs, like for example basil, rosemary or mint, to the family of gorse-like plants. The genus Satureja includes approximately forty species, the most famous of which are:

• Satureja hortensis (Satureja hortensis) – an annual plant from the Mediterranean, widely used in Balkan cuisine, blooms with small light purple flowers.

• Satureja montana (Satureja montana) – a perennial plant originally from the mountainous regions of the Iberian Peninsula, unlike the garden satureja, it usually has white or pinkish flowers, it is also grown as an ornamental plant.

Both plants can be used in the kitchen in the same way.

How does saturjejka taste?

Saturejka is a plant with a very interesting taste and aroma. Its flowers have a distinct spicy scent, and the leaves and stem have a slightly spicy, burning taste that resembles pepper. After all, it is sometimes nicknamed donkey pepper. It can be used in fresh or dried form, and after drying, its aroma is even more intense.

In addition to the Provençal spice, which is included together with rosemary, basil and thyme, it can also be found in the čubrica seasoning mixture. This mixture is often used in Balkan cuisine, in addition to saturjeka, it also contains chili peppers, flour and salt.

What does saturejka contain?

By adding saturejka to various dishes, the body can be supplied with a number of health-promoting substances in a very simple way. Let’s compare this herb from a nutritional point of view with other frequently used herbs from the sedum family. All nutritional values are given in dried form.

Nutritional values of saturej

Vitamins and minerals

Saturejka is very rich in some minerals, especially calcium, potassium and magnesium. Of the vitamins, it mainly supplies us with vitamin C and some B vitamins.

What is saturejka used for?

Saturejka is known for its various beneficial effects on our organism.

• Digestive system – thanks to the content of various plant substances, it has a very beneficial effect on our digestive system and relieves a whole range of unpleasant problems, such as stomach pain, flatulence, flatulence, diarrhea or loss of appetite.

• Immune system and antioxidants – like most other herbs, saturjeka is rich in various antioxidants that help strengthen our body’s defenses and neutralize potentially harmful free radicals that can be the cause of a whole range of civilization diseases.

• Cardiovascular system – saturejka acts as a mild natural cardiotonic, i.e. a drug that is used to increase the strength of heart contractions in various cardiovascular problems.

• Oral cavity – saturejka has relatively strong anti-inflammatory effects, and gargling a decoction from saturjejka can thus be an effective aid in various infections of the oral cavity or throat.

• Skin – the anti-inflammatory effects of saturjeka are also used in skin care. Essential oils containing carvacrolem and cymolem, which have mild antiseptic effects, help with wound healing and improve the condition of oily skin. A herbal bath is also recommended for skin problems. In this case, sage is often mixed with other herbs, especially thyme, sage and rosemary.

Saturejka in the kitchen

It is very easy to use a saturjej when preparing a whole range of diverse dishes. Generally speaking, wherever you would add pepper, you can add salt. It is used in dried and fresh form, if necessary it can also be frozen.

You can often find Saturejka in recipes from Balkan, French and Italian cuisine. Due to its positive effects on the digestive system, it is recommended to use it when preparing fattier meaty dishes.

How to include saturej in the menu?

• It is very popular to add saturejka to various recipes for minced meat . With its taste and aroma, it can enliven meatballs, Dutch steak, meatloaf and stuffed pepper pods.

• Saturejka is also very useful in the preparation of grilled vegetables , which gives it a more pronounced taste. When preparing steaks for the grill, you can, of course , make various meat marinades special .

• A simple way to use fresh parsley is to sprinkle various salads or soups. Its taste goes well with recipes for spicy soups made from spices , such as curry soup or ginger soup.

• When it comes to meat, saturejka is often used in the preparation of mutton in Balkan cuisine. However, it can also be used in the preparation of rabbit meat dishes.

• Do you have a weakness for stuffed meat? Fresh and dried saturjejka will make any stuffing special. Do you know how to prepare the best stuffing ? Use as many different herbs as possible in it, add chives, parsley, sage, oregano or thyme in addition to saturjeka.

• Herb butter goes very well with fish, poultry or vegetables. All you have to do is mix the chopped saturej with a piece of butter in a pan, then mix the mixture and add a small amount of salt.

• Vegetarians will surely be pleased that saturejka can also be used in various preparations of mushrooms or legumes. Try it, for example, in recipes for lentil salad .

• Saturejka can also be used in the production of homemade pâtés , whether from venison or other types of meat.

• If you like classic Czech sauces, use the saturjejk, for example, when preparing a delicious sirloin sauce . Its taste and aroma make the dish special. Similarly, you can use it in tomato sauce.

• Saturejka is at home in French cuisine. Don’t forget to use it in ratatouille recipes . You can prepare it in a traditional vegetarian form, or make it special with meat.

• Last but not least, saturejka is often used in game dishes. Use it when preparing pheasant meat , great-tasting wild pheasant or pheasant pâté.

How to replace the saturej?

As you can see, this herb has its uses in a wide range of dishes. But what to do if it is mentioned in the recipe and unfortunately you don’t have it at home? Due to its distinctive taste, saturjejka is sometimes used instead of pepper. It therefore follows that if you do not have it at home, you can replace it in recipes with a small amount of pepper. When it comes to herbs as such, it is best to substitute thyme with thyme.

Use of the saturejka

Due to its medicinal effects, saturejka is also used in the production of some other products.

• Tea from saturea – for various digestive problems, loss of appetite and bronchitis, it is possible to prepare tea from saturea. You are mainly preparing it from dried sage, just pour one teaspoon of dried leaves into 250 milliliters of boiling water and leave to infuse for approximately 10 minutes. Tea is drunk flavored with honey, a maximum of three cups per day.

• Tincture from saturex – this is sucrose infused in high-percentage alcohol. Macerate the saturejka for three weeks in 50% alcohol in a ratio of 1:5. After the given time, filter the solution and store in a cool place.

• Vinegar – produced by leaching saturejka in wine or apple cider vinegar for two weeks. Subsequently, it is suitable not only for flavoring various salads or marinades, but also for treating insect bites.

• Essential oil of saturej – has a variety of uses in aromatherapy

Cultivation of saturei

The garden satureja (Satureja hortensis) and the mountain satureja (Satureja montana) belong to the extensive family of saturaceae. While garden sage is an annual herb, mountain sage is a perennial.

Both species originally come from the Mediterranean region, where they were used for various medicinal and culinary purposes already in ancient times. The Romans believed it to be an aphrodisiac because it gave men strength.

Saturejka grows to a height of around 30 cm. Its stems are often woody, older plants of the mountain satureia have the form of small bushes. The leaves are small, narrow, dark green.

In the summer months, the plants are covered with small flowers. In the case of garden saturea, with light purple ones, in the case of mountain satura, white or pink. It blooms mostly from July to September. It is recommended to harvest the leaves and stems before flowering.

How to grow your own saturei?

It is easy to grow your own saturei, both in a flower bed and in a flowerpot on the balcony or outside the window. Its advantage is not only its diverse use as a spice or medicine, but also the fact that its essential oil acts as a great natural repellent for aphids.

Due to its Mediterranean origin, it is advisable to choose a sunny and warm location for it, it is undemanding in terms of soil, it prefers drought rather than intensive watering. You can see the first plants two weeks after sowing, they are usually sown from mid-May.