Varieties of Dried Sage

Markets sell several types of dried sage. Are they interchangeable?

The terms “whole,” “rubbed,” and “ground” refer to the processing of the sage plant. The leaves of whole sage are removed from the stem, dried, and packaged with minimal processing. Rubbed sage is made from dried, crumbled leaves, while ground sage may include both finely ground leaves and stems. We tried each of them in our recipes for Bread Stuffing, Crispy Bacon-Sage Pork Cutlets, and Sage-Vermouth Sauce.

In every recipe, the herb’s distinctive woodsy flavor came through clearest when we used whole sage. Rubbed sage, slightly milder than whole leaves, was the runner-up. Ground sage was tasteless in the stuffing and pork cutlets, and it turned the sauce murky brown. To approximate the flavor of whole sage, increase the amount of rubbed sage by half.?

THE BOTTOM LINE: Whole sage is best, rubbed is acceptable, but steer clear of ground sage.