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The last time Nacho Sánchez Crende visited Galicia he admired, to the amazement of the locals, the large amount of weeds that grew in its mountains. That gesture that his companions considered an extravagance for the chef was an opportunity: “They have a lot of flavor, especially spring ones”.
“Weeds have never been reviled, rather forgotten”, explains Sánchez Crende, owner and chef of Pizzie Dixie, a vegan restaurant that fuses the roots of Italian gastronomy with dishes from Latin America and its own creations full of amazing flavor, color and ingredients.
Rodrigo de la Calle, the chef at El Invernadero, has spent years researching and experiencing the potential of this type of plant; At El Celler de Can Roca, Evarist March travels around the restaurant every day in search of weeds that can be cooked. Too Michelangelo of the Cross, the chef of La Botica de Matapozuelos, has been involved in this issue and shared his knowledge in the book “The Gatherer Cook and Wild Plants”.
Since when have they been eaten?
Weeds, according to the chef, have always been used in cooking. “They have a bad reputation for farmers because they are very invasive, but in the kitchen they have been relegated to the background because they have less publicity.”
The food industry, according to Nacho Sánchez, enhances the consumption of some products and he forgets others, for sheer practicality. “That is why many people today do not know that wild herbs can be eaten.”
Weed properties
Weeds belong to the ‘green leaf’ family and have lots of chlorophyll. This substance is to the plant what hemoglobin to man, the difference between the two is its central molecule, which in the case of hemoglobin is iron while in that of chlorophyll it is iron. magnesium.
All the carbons that surround the molecules have an identical structure and our body recognizes it as such, therefore we have an extra hemoglobin that helps us to bring oxygen to cells.
Purslane, benefits of weed
The main quality of this plant is the large amount of omega 3 containing. It is very rare to find this fatty acid in the vegetable kingdom, it is typical of fish and meat.
Lowers cholesterol and has an effect anti-inflammatory, that is why purslane is recommended for people with diabetes or heart disease.
One of the most delicious dishes at Pizzie Dixie is the ravioli stuffed with vegetable escalivada with purslane sauce.
Cardillo, the survivor
The cardillo is one of the few weeds that still survive in the pantry of some regions of Spain. On Andalusia and Extremadura it is very typical to cook thistles in stews.
Its flavor is similar to that of the artichoke and it is a powerful diuretic, they favor the production of bile from the liver and are a great ally to take care of the health of the liver and gallbladder.
Nettle
Eating nettles is a similar experience to eating chard. Among the weeds, it is one of the most common on restaurant menus, but it has very notoriety given the bad experiences that diners suffered with the contact of this plant on their skin.
However, nettle does not cause any type of damage once scalded and has great properties: it is an herb pain reliever, antihistamine, helps to expel mucus from the airways, is diuretic and antihemorrhagic.
Chickweed
Es crispy and sweet and some nuances of its flavor are reminiscent of the hazelnut. Only its leaves and stems are consumed, so it is perfect both for salads and to embellish dishes.
It is one of the most valuable wild herbs given its large amount of nutrients and antioxidants. It has almost the same proportion of iron as lentils and is very rich in vitamin A and C.
Mauve
Hollyhocks, like violets, taste very astringent and are often used in soups and broths. In addition to beautifying the dishes, it relieves the discomfort of the digestive system, mitigates heartburn, calms irritations in the respiratory system and properties are attributed hypoglucent.
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums they taste like radish and they add a slight touch hot spicy to the dishes, but the most luxurious flower is also a great ally for health.
Its lots of Vitamin C helps fight the symptoms of flu and other respiratory viral infections. It is also a powerful diuretic which helps in case of urinary infections, reduces the blood pressure and cholesterol. As if all this were not enough, it is a powerful Antimicrobial.