鼠尾草 (shǔwěicǎo) · sage (the herb), Salvia officinalis

Meanings

1 sage (the herb)
2 Salvia officinalis

About the ingredient

蔬菜 Vegetables

Soft grey-green leaves covered in fine hairs, with a savoury, slightly peppery flavour. A Western herb, used with pork, in sausages and in stuffing for roast poultry.

Characters

Examples

HSK 4

烤火鸡的时候我加了一些鼠尾草。

Kǎo huǒjī de shíhou wǒ jiā le yìxiē shǔwěicǎo.

I added some sage when I roasted the turkey.

HSK 5

鼠尾草的叶子有独特的香气。

Shǔwěicǎo de yèzi yǒu dútè de xiāngqì.

Sage leaves have a distinctive fragrance.

Tips

memory

Named for the shape of the flower spikes, which resemble a rat's tail (鼠尾). The name is a direct calque of the Latin-via-English botanical naming, but the visual metaphor works independently.