Is Smyrnium Olusatrum edible?
Is Smyrnium Olusatrum edible?
Smyrnium olusatrum, common name Alexanders, is an edible cultivated flowering plant of the family Apiaceae (or Umbelliferae). It is also known as alisanders, horse parsley, black lovage (from the colour of the seeds) and smyrnium.
How do you use Alexanders?
Food Uses of Alexanders The leaves and stalks can be blanched or steamed to add to soups, broths and stews. The plant tastes similar to celery. The flowers can be added as a spice and decoration to salads. The buds can be eaten pickled or fried.
Can you eat Alexander plant?
Every single part of Alexanders is edible – the root, stem, leaves, flowers and seeds (though personally I’m not keen on the flowers).
Can you eat horse parsley?
be used like broccoli or cooked in a light batter. The seeds can be dried and used as a spice, a bit like black pepper. time of year and used sparingly in salads or as a green. The roots can be scrubbed, peeled and sliced and roasted like parsnip.
How do you grow Smyrnium Perfoliatum?
Smyrnium perfoliatum
- Position: full sun to partial shade.
- Soil: moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil.
- Rate of growth: average.
- Flowering Period: May to June.
- Hardiness: fully hardy but short-lived.
- Garden care: Cut back to just above ground level in autumn.
How do you cook Alexander’s?
Steamed Alexanders Recipe Instructions
- Find a nice patch of young Alexanders.
- Wash and trim the stems to roughly even lengths.
- Steam the stems for about 5-10 minutes.
- Serve with lashings of butter and a squeeze of lime juice. The lime juice really compliments this scrummy wild vegetable dish.
What do Alexanders taste like?
Alexanders are an edible wild plant that you can find growing from February to June. Pick the tender young stems and steam them for a unique flavour experience. They taste like a combination of asparagus, celery, and elderflower.
What does Alexander taste like?
The Taste of a Brandy Alexander This drink tastes mostly like chocolate. It goes very well with the brandy and creme de cacao.
What is Alexander herb?
An umbeliferous plant Smyrnium olusatrum related to the carrot, with distinctive green florets. Also known as Horse Parsley or Black Lovage, the stems were used like celery, either raw or boiled, the young shoots and tops boiled, raw or pickled with vinegar, the roots as an alternative to parsnip.
What does horse parsley look like?
A large plant that grows up to 1.5 metres tall and has a thick main stem that can become hollow. This plant has many clusters of little yellow-green umbel flowers appearing towards the top suspended by offshoots from the main stem. The shiny green leaves smell of celery.
Where does horse parsley grow?
Found mainly towards the coast, probably due to its sensitivity to frosts, which are less common in coastal areas. It is more common in the south and rare in most of Scotland. It can be found on cliffs, hedge banks, road sides and other waste land areas.
What kind of plant is Smyrnium olusatrum?
Smyrnium olusatrum, common name Alexanders, is an edible cultivated flowering plant of the family Apiaceae (or Umbelliferae). It is also known as alisanders, horse parsley, and smyrnium. It was known to Theophrastus (9.1) and Pliny the Elder (N.H. 19.48).
What are the health benefits of Smyrnium olastrum?
1. Diuretic Effect This plant Smyrnium Olastrum has been used for centuries as a diuretic that will help control various diseases such as kidney, stones, urinary tract infections and gallbladder stones. The part of this plant which is a diuretic is the roots.
When to cut back a Smyrnium olusatrum plant?
The most effective time to cut is towards the end of the plants flowering, but before the seeds have set.
How did the Smyrnium plant get its name?
According to Pliny (70 AD), it gained the name Smyrnium because of its distinctive myrrh-like fragrance. A tall plant, up to 1.5 m high, bearing greenish-yellow flowers in umbrella-like clusters with a pungent, myrrh-like scent. The leaves are bright green and toothed, arranged in groups of three at the end of the leaf stalk.