Apr 15 2007
Alexanders, a forgotten vegetable
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One of England’s forgotten vegetables, Alexanders are at their most magnificent in April, their stately stems thick and tall on verges and grassy banks. Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) love the coast and grow in greatest profusion within a few miles of the sea, though isolated patches thrive even far inland, often close to monastic sites, where it was once cultivated.
Cut and steam the stems and buds, ideally just before the flowers have opened, for an absolutely distinctive, even peculiar, vegetable, a little like celery or parsley. Alexanders were once grown in kitchen gardens as Alexandrian parsley and are often said to have fallen out of favour with the introduction of new varieties of celery in the 19th century.
Like so many other naturalised edible plants, Alexanders were introduced by the Romans and enjoyed centuries of popularity before eventually falling out of fashion. John Evelyn, in his Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets (1699) - (UK)
The gentle fresh sprouts, buds, and tops are to be chosen, and the stalks eaten in the spring; and when blanch’d, in winter likewise, with oyl, pepper, salt, etc by themselves, or in composition: They make also an excellent vernal pottage.
Just such a pottage was described by Robert May in The Accomplish’t Cook (1660) - (UK)
Ellicksander Pottage
Chop ellicksanders and oatmeal together, being picked and washed, then set on a pipkin with fair water, and when it boils, put in your herbs, oatmeal, and salt, and boil it on a soft fire, and make it not too thick, being almost boil’d put in some butter.
Roger Phillips, in his excellent collection of photos and recipes, Wild Food - (UK)
(This post is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #78, hosted by Cook Almost Anything at Least Once)
Sourcebooks
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Wild Food (Natural History Photographic Guides) by Roger Phillips (UK) (US)
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Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets by John Evelyn (UK) (US)
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The Accomplisht Cook, or The Art of Mystery of Cookery by Robert May (UK) (US)
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It’s something I’d love to try. I’ve just got to identify it first!
I’m having the same trouble. It doesn’t seem to figure in the Capitulare de Villis which surprises me as so many plants we use today are in that list. And I can’t find anything to give me a modern common name on the web. So more clues, please.
Scott, Trig -
Roger Phillips’ Wild Food has good photos of alexanders (and other wild food) as well as recipes. I find it much more useful in the field than Richard Mabey’s classic Food For Free, which does, however, provide some alternative regional names - alick (Kent), hellroot (Dorset), megweed (Sussex), skit (Cornwall), wild celery (Isle of White). I’ve also heard it called horse parsley.
Once you’ve positively identified alexanders, you’ll never miss them again. Their three-lobed leaves and yellow-green flowers are unmistakeable. http://www.floralimages.co.uk/psmyrnolusa.htm has some helpful photos.
Hi Nick, thanks for the message on SomethingYum. Have found Eostre organics before - it’s very good, Have you also seen Booja Booja chocolates? Organic, fair trade etc? Tried them last week from Jarrolds - mighty tasty and local!!
Thanks for sharing this wonderfully rare food stuff with us! Even the wondrous Jane Grigson doesn’t mention it (that I can find) in her Vegetable Book so it must be scarce. Now we just need to find some!
What a wonderful post. I haven’t heard of this before, and I’m always quite excited when someone writes about a brand new type of vegetable or herb. As WHB goes on longer and longer, it happens less often naturally, so thanks for helping us learn about something new this time.
These look very like what I used to call cow parsley when I was younger. Are these the same thing?
Sophie - No! Cow parsley is at least mildly toxic so beware. According to my Illustrated Guide to Poisonous Plants and Fungi (invaluable for any cautious forager), Cow parsley is “said to cause poisoning similar to hemlock but less severe”. Both Alexanders and Cow parsley are members of the Umbelliferae family of plants, which tend to look quite similar, with tall stems and clusters of small flowers (the umbels).
Oooh, I won’t try those then! Not that I tend to see either around these days sadly :-(
If you like to grow it, I have seeds of Alexanders Andreas :-)
Alexanders……very common around nth Norfolk Coast near Wells and inland. Went back to Wells for first time for 30+ years last year and saw more Alexanders than when I was a youngster.
Back in 1958 I was asked to take part in a survey of where it would grow. I was a first year at Wymondham College and we were given seeds to plant. Mine didn’t grow at Tunstead as far as I know.
I have heard that, like Asparagus, a very light sprinkling of salt will help them grow in the garden.
I have been experimenting with these recently with great success. I learned of them from Roger Philips book last year and since then have found them growing in great abundance at home in North Wales and also in Suffolk whilst travelling with work. They do indeed seem to appear eveywhere near the coast. Last night we collected some from the Little Orme and made a lovely chicken and bacon casserole! I think I will be eating these fantastic vegetables forevermore, and, they are free!! Woo Hoo!
I was given some cooked Alexanders young stems which were very pleasant but foolishly tasted the raw stem on a walk and found my mouth ,tongue and even my throat slightly, subjected to a really unpleasant stinging sensation which has lasted, although gradually diminishing, all day. I have searched to see warnings for this but not found any.I did do a similar thing several years ago with feverfew leaves ,which were supposed to be good as a tea for curing headache but the raw leaf made my tongue swell and sting.
They grow in abundance along the roadside verges in SE Cornwall from mid March until about mid April, in many places taking over from the fading early daffodils
The roots look a bit like stunted parsnips and can also be eaten - they’re quite tasty roasted. I’m not sure how long they take to grow to a decent size thobut.