means Describing food that is salty, meaty, or richly flavorful rather than sweet — and, by extension, the deep umami taste of broths, mushrooms, and aged cheese.

from From Old French savoure, "tasty, fragrant," rooted in Latin sapor, "taste or flavor" — itself from sapere, "to taste" (and also "to know," which is why "sapient" and "savvy" are distant cousins). So to find something savory is, etymologically, to truly taste it. The garden herb called savory shares the same flavorful root.