A pungent herb belonging to the genus salvia, native to the Mediterranean. It has long slender leaves that are a grey/green colour in the common variety Salvia officinalis. Other varieties have different colouration. Pineapple sage Salvia rutilans, has a strong pineapple scent and red flowers, while red sage Salvia purpurea as you would imagine has red foliage.
Sage has been esteemed for its health giving properties since Roman times and indeed, its genus name comes for the Latin for health.
A strong association with game meats and stuffings comes from the British, but Italians also revere this herb in the kitchen. They will use it to garnish many dishes when fried, such as in burnt butter while the classic vegetable base soffritto, which is generally onions, carrots and celery fried in olive oil, often contains sage.