Amarakos was the son of the king of Cyprus Kinyra, who besides being a lord was also a priest of the temple of Aphrodite. The marjoram took its name from Amarakos, while the marjoram (Origaum marjorana) is also known as Oregano and belongs to the chilants. It is a plant that decorates gardens and pots without exceeding 40 cm in height. A native of the Mediterranean, marjoram has been cultivated since Greek antiquity, while it symbolized happiness for Greeks, Romans and Arabs, as according to legend the goddess of love Eros gave the plant its name and planted it on Olympus.

Many of us still remember the aroma of sage appearing in mom’s kitchen, hot, with sugar or honey, ready to relieve a sore child’s throat and stuffy nose! The well-known sage, the medicinal Eliphascos, or Salvia officinalis , belongs to the genus.

The sage, with its fluffy leaves and woody shoot, does not exceed 60 cm. in height and is so Greek that the French call it “Tea of Greece”, as in our country we have 20 species of sage that love the Greek countryside, full of sun with barren and stony soil. Even Charlemagne the Great was involved in the spread of the humble sage, while by order of his son the sage officially entered the royal estates.

It is said that during the great plague of 1630 the robbers managed to plunder the dead without being infected and the secret was an ointment of lavender, rosemary, thyme and… sage that strengthened the immune system!

After harvest, the gray-green leaves should be stored in a shady place, which does not alter the quality of the leaves and the essential oil. Sage essential oil is prepared in two ways, either by distillation or by steam.