SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Savory, a culinary herb belonging to the mint family, was named 2015 Herb of the Year at the Illinois Specialty Crop Conference.

Perhaps lesser known than some of its kitchen cousins like rosemary, thyme or sage, savory is versatile and highly aromatic, noted Marge Powell of the International Herb Assoc. (IHA). “Savory happens to be one of my favorite herbs,” she said. “It tastes a bit like thyme but is easier to use and dry. It is easy to start from cuttings, is one of the Herbes de Provence, has a strong (or pungent) culinary scent and is a beneficial addition to many recipes.”

This homage to an Herb of the Year is a traditional program of the conference, hosted each January by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and various state grower associations, including the Illinois Herb Assoc. The state herb association was formed in 1989 under the umbrella of the Illinois Specialty Growers Assoc.

The spotlighted herb is selected by the IHA’s trademarked Herb of the Year program, started in 1995. University of Illinois horticulturist Chuck Voigt is a longstanding International and Illinois association member. He’s also been involved in the selection process.

He explained each nominated herb is ranked for its character in medicinal, culinary and/or decorative categories. Once the herb is announced, herb societies, groups and organizations worldwide work together to educate the public about these important herbs throughout the year. There’s also an IHA booklet published each year to celebrate that year’s selected herb, at www.iherb.org

Savory generally has a bold and peppery flavor and was first noted in cooking with the Saxons. Perhaps many people more commonly experience this herb in Herbes de Provence, a mixture of dried herbs typical of Provence, France – a blend of savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano and, for the American market, lavender leaves.

Powell likes to use savory in meatloaf, while the Provence mixture is often used to flavor grilled fish and grilled meat, as well as vegetable stews. The mixture can be added to foods before or during cooking or mixed with cooking oil prior to cooking to infuse the flavor into the food. They are rarely added after cooking is complete.

Other recent Herb of the Year winners include horseradish, rose, elderberry and artemisias.

Another way the public is encouraged to use the Herb of the Year is by planting an “Official Illinois Herb Garden.”

The guidelines include planting a minimum of 20 of the Herb of the Year plants, and the garden must be at least 80 percent herbs and located for easy public access. For more information on this, call 217-778-4423.