Savory is, for one thing, a category applied to foods that are not sweet, as in savory dumplings. It suggests either spicy or tart flavors. There are a number of foods that have both a sweet and a savory preparation. For example, sweet potatoes, paté a choix, cous cous, bread pudding, cheesecakes, pudding and custard, shortbread, tarte, quiche, polenta, crepes, popcorn, pie crust, and soup can all be served as a sweet or dessert course, or prepared as a savory.

Savory also refers to an annual herb in the mint family, Labiatae, with two varieties that are commonly used by people: the herb savory, which has a winter type and a summer type. The winter type is sometimes refered to as spring savory. One variety of savory, Satureja douglasii is the good herb — Yerba Buena — that served as the early name for the city known as San Francisco since 1847.

Summer savory is Satureja hortensis. Originating in southeast Europe, it has been naturalized elsewhere, and it is the type of savory that is most often found in herb gardens and used as a seasoning. It can be found in recipes for foccacia, marinades, stuffing, pilaf, meatballs, pâtés, soups, bean dishes, eggs, and fish, and is sometimes included in the premade seasoning blend called Italian seasoning, along with oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, sage, and rosemary. Dried savory is available year round, and fresh savory can be used during the summer months.

Winter savory is Satureja Montana . It is stronger than summer savory, with pink and white flowers and leaves that are a bit leathery. It can be substituted for summer savory.

Savory is used in commercial toothpaste and soap. It has been recommended for a variety of medicinal purposes, from gargling to aiding digestion, a disinfectant, when its branches are burned. Virgil suggested planting it near beehives for the flavor it adds to honey, and it is also used in salami, showing what a wide gamut of uses it covers.