MOUNTAIN SAVORY VITALITY™
A rugged Mediterranean herb with a flavor that refuses to disappear into the background.
Mountain Savory begins as Satureja montana, the perennial herb also known as winter savory. This small woody member of the mint family grows naturally across parts of southern Europe and the Mediterranean region.
Its strong, peppery character has given savory a place in the kitchen for centuries. Young Living steam distills the flowering plant to create Mountain Savory essential oil, while Mountain Savory Vitality™ brings that concentrated botanical character into culinary and dietary use.
Meet the Herb Behind the Bottle
Mountain Savory may not have the instant name recognition of rosemary, oregano or thyme, but botanically it belongs in familiar company.
Satureja montana belongs to the Lamiaceae—the mint family—alongside many familiar aromatic culinary plants.
Commonly known as winter savory, it grows as a perennial woody subshrub rather than the annual growth habit of summer savory. Its small leaves and pale flowers emerge from a plant adapted to sunny Mediterranean landscapes.
Its flavor carries considerably more force than its modest appearance suggests. Young Living describes Mountain Savory Vitality™ as strong and peppery, with a flavor reminiscent of oregano.
A small Mediterranean plant. A surprisingly bold character.
The Botanical at a Glance
Winter Savory Is Not Summer Savory
“Savory” describes more than one botanical.
Mountain Savory is Satureja montana—winter savory. Summer savory is Satureja hortensis.
Summer savory grows as an annual. Winter savory persists as a perennial woody subshrub and generally carries a stronger, more assertive flavor.
BOTANICAL NAME → Satureja montana
CULINARY NAME → WINTER SAVORY
Where Strong Flavor Finds Its Place
Mountain savory has a long relationship with food. Young Living describes it as a culinary herb used for centuries and specifically recommends Mountain Savory Vitality™ for meats, beans and stuffing.
Its spicy, herbaceous character also fits herbal teas, sauces, stews, marinades and rubs. Young Living describes its character as:
Some herbs whisper into a recipe.
Mountain Savory makes itself known.
Why the Flowering Plant Matters
Young Living identifies the ingredient specifically as Mountain Savory (Satureja montana) flowering top oil and describes the essential oil as steam distilled from the flowering plant.
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FLOWERING PLANT
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STEAM DISTILLATION
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ESSENTIAL OIL
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CONCENTRATED CULINARY CHARACTER
Why Does Mountain Savory Remind Us of Oregano?
Published analyses of Satureja montana essential oil frequently identify carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene and gamma-terpinene.
Carvacrol and thymol also occur in other strongly aromatic members of the mint family, including oregano and thyme. This gives us one clue to Mountain Savory's familiar aromatic character.
Published profiles vary. Some samples are richer in carvacrol while others contain more thymol.
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CHEMISTRY
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AROMA & CHARACTER
Strong. Peppery. Herbaceous.
Young Living describes Mountain Savory Vitality™ as strong and peppery with a flavor reminiscent of oregano.
Strong flavor calls for a light hand.
When substituting the oil for fresh or dried mountain savory, Young Living recommends beginning with the toothpick method.
- Meats
- Beans
- Stuffing
- Herbal tea
- Sauces
- Stews
- Marinades
- Rubs
- Rosemary Vitality™
- Thyme Vitality™
- Sage Vitality™
- Peppermint Vitality™
Same Botanical. Very Different Concentration.
Winter Savory Herb
- Satureja montana.
- Leaves and flowering portions have a long culinary relationship.
- Used as an herb or seasoning.
Mountain Savory Vitality™
- Concentrated flowering-top essential oil.
- Young Living labels it for dietary use.
- A tiny amount delivers concentrated flavor.
- Follow current Young Living directions.
Knowing the herb gives us context.
Knowing the concentration changes how we use it.
TOOTHPICK METHOD: Dip a toothpick into Mountain Savory Vitality™ and swirl it through the recipe. Taste before adding more.
An Unfamiliar Name. A Familiar Botanical World.
It belongs to the mint family. Its flavor recalls oregano. It grows as perennial winter savory. Its flowering plant becomes the essential oil. Its chemistry helps explain its strong aromatic personality. Its culinary history connects the plant with the Mediterranean table.
MINT FAMILY → MEDITERRANEAN → WINTER SAVORY → FLOWERING TOPS → STEAM DISTILLATION → PEPPERY FLAVOR → CULINARY USE
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MEDITERRANEAN
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FLOWERING PLANT
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STEAM DISTILLATION
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PEPPERY CHARACTER
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CULINARY DROP
Discovery first. Understanding second. Thoughtful practical application third.
Simple Ways to Explore Mountain Savory Vitality™
Meats — Young Living suggests its spicy herbaceous flavor with meats.
Beans — A specifically recommended Young Living culinary use.
Stuffing — Young Living recommends adding Mountain Savory Vitality™ to stuffing.
Sauces, Stews & Marinades — Its concentrated savory character works naturally in these strongly flavored foods.
Herbal Tea — Young Living suggests 1 drop in hot tea, sweetened to taste with Blue Agave or Slique® Essence™.
Start with the toothpick method when cooking.
Explore its flavor in a familiar pot of beans.
Introduce a toothpick amount into a savory marinade.
Try Young Living's tea idea: 1 drop in hot tea, sweetened to taste.
Try Young Living's morning-water suggestion: 1–2 drops in water.
Three Practical Recipes
Mountain Savory White Beans
- 2 cups cooked white beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small minced garlic clove
- Salt and pepper
- Mountain Savory Vitality™
Warm beans with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Dip a toothpick into Mountain Savory Vitality™ and swirl through the beans. Stir, taste and add more only if desired.
Peppery Mediterranean Marinade
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 minced garlic clove
- Salt and pepper
- Mountain Savory Vitality™
Combine ingredients. Dip a toothpick into Mountain Savory Vitality™ and swirl through the marinade. Taste before adding more.
Mountain Savory Herbal Tea
- 1 cup hot tea
- 1 drop Mountain Savory Vitality™
- Blue Agave or Slique® Essence™ to taste
Add the oil to hot tea and sweeten to taste. This follows Young Living's current suggested-use concept.
For the Diffuser, Reach for the Classic Oil
This page features Mountain Savory Vitality™, labeled for dietary use. For aromatic exploration, look to the separate classic Mountain Savory Essential Oil and follow its own label.
Mediterranean Herb Garden — Mountain Savory + Rosemary + Lemon
Savory & Sage — Mountain Savory + Sage + Lavender
Herbal Citrus — Mountain Savory + Lemon + Peppermint
These are Connect the Dots™ ideas, not Young Living recipes.
Follow the Label
Dilute 1 drop Mountain Savory Vitality™ with 4 drops carrier oil. Put in a capsule and take once daily or as needed.
- Add to meats, beans or stuffing.
- Dilute 1 drop with 4 drops V-6™ Vegetable Oil Complex and take as a dietary supplement.
- Add 1 drop to hot tea and sweeten to taste with Blue Agave or Slique® Essence™.
- Add 1–2 drops to water in the morning.
Same Source. Different Label Direction.
Young Living states that Mountain Savory Essential Oil and Mountain Savory Vitality™ come from the same source and are crafted with the same Seed to Seal® standards but are labeled for different routes of use.
Mountain Savory Vitality™
Dietary use.
Mountain Savory Essential Oil
Topical and aromatic use according to its own label.
Same botanical source. Different label direction.
Questions Worth Asking
What plant is Mountain Savory?
Is Mountain Savory the same as summer savory?
Why does it remind us of oregano?
How much should I use when replacing the culinary herb?
What is the difference between Mountain Savory Vitality™ and Mountain Savory Essential Oil?
- Keep out of reach of children.
- If pregnant, nursing, taking medication or living with a medical condition, consult a health professional before use.
- Follow current Young Living dietary directions.
- Remember that concentrated essential oil does not substitute volume-for-volume for fresh or dried savory.
Mountain Savory Vitality™ is labeled for human dietary use. Human dietary directions do not translate into animal directions.
Species, size, health status, medications, concentration and route of exposure all matter. For questions about your animals, talk with your veterinarian.
Satureja montana is native across parts of southern Central and southern Europe and extends eastward toward Lebanon. Young Living describes Mountain Savory as native to the Mediterranean region and steam distills the flowering plant.
Place → Plant → Flowering Top → Distillation → Oil
What changes when an unfamiliar essential oil becomes connected to a familiar family of herbs, flavors and plants?
If that question makes you curious, Tip Tuesday brings a weekly dose of wellness education to your inbox.
Join Tip Tuesday- Young Living — Mountain Savory Vitality™ current U.S. product information
- Young Living — Mountain Savory Vitality™ Product Information Page
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Plants of the World Online: Satureja montana L.
- Peer-reviewed literature on Satureja montana botanical chemistry
