The image, above, shows the full curled dock plant (Rumexcrispus). The panels, show, clockwise from bottom left: the
leaves of the young plant; the mature plant coming into flower,
the mature seeds on the plant in autumn, close-up of the seeds..
| Common Name: Curled Dock |
| Scientific Name: Rumex crispus |
| Other Names: Curley Dock, Curly Dock, Garden Patience, Sour Dock, Narrow Dock or Yellow Dock |
| Family: Polygonaceae |
| Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, to N. Africa. |
Physical Characteristics
Rumex crispus is a hardy Perennial plant, growing to 60cm (2 ft) by 30cm (1 ft) in size. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from June to October and seeds ripen from July to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are wind pollinated.
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| Edible Parts: Leaves, Seeds, Stems |
 Edibility Rating: 2 
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 Known Hazards: Like many members of the Polygonaceae (including true rhubarb), Curled Dock plants can contain high levels of oxalic acid (which is what gives the plant its acidic, lemony, flavour. It is fine to consume in small quantities, but should not be eaten in large amounts or at regular intervals as oxalic acid can make food nutrients, particularly calcium, unavailable to the human digestion, leading to mineral deficiencies. However, the oxalic acid levels are decreased if the plant is cooked before consuming. People with a tendency to gout, rheumatism, arthropathies, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take particular care if introducing this plant into their diet, as it could aggravate their condition.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Curled Dock along with all the Curled Dock containing recipes presented on this site, with 3 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Curled Dock as a major wild food ingredient.
Curled Dock, Rumex crispus, (also known as Curley Dock, Curly Dock, Garden Patience, Sour Dock, Narrow Dock or Yellow Dock) is a perennial flowering plant in the Polygonaceae (knotweed) family. It is distinguished by it's stem which ranges in colour from reddish-brown to bright red and extends to 1m in height. The leaves are smooth and form a large basal rosette and have distinctive curled edges that give the plant it's common name. The flowers are produced in clusters on spikes that extend from the stems, with the largest cluster at the plant's apex. The seeds are shiny, brown in hue and are enclosed in the calyx (sepals) of the flower that gave rise to them. This calyx both allows the seed to float in water and enables it to catch on animal fur.
Curled dock is a native of Europe and western Asia and is most commonly found on roadsides, cultivated land and amidst low-maintenance crops.
The leaves can be used as a vegetable and, unless very young, need to be boiled in several changes of water before being served, as they contain high levels of oxalic acid and may be bitter. The young leaves can be added to salads or they can be wilted by frying in butter. Leaves should be picked before the stems develop and are best picked in early spring or late autumn (outside this time they can be very bitter). Treat as a potherb and blanch in several changes of water before use. The stems are also edible and should be peeled and blanched before use. The inner core is quite tender and tasty and can be used in place of rhubarb.
The seeds are also edible but are fiddly to collect in large quantities. They can be ground to make a flour or can be roasted and then ground to make a coffee substitute. It is recommended that this plant is only seldom consumed due to the high levels of oxalic acid. In spring, however, leaves are very rich in vitamins and minerals, especially iron and the vitamins A and C and it was frequently consumed as a spring vegetable in the Middle Ages.
The leaves also make a great wrapping for fish or other meats prior to pit cooking, clay baking or baking in embers.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Curled Dock as a major wild food ingredient.
Curled Dock, Rumex crispus, (also known as Curley Dock, Curly Dock, Garden Patience, Sour Dock, Narrow Dock or Yellow Dock) is a perennial flowering plant in the Polygonaceae (knotweed) family. It is distinguished by it's stem which ranges in colour from reddish-brown to bright red and extends to 1m in height. The leaves are smooth and form a large basal rosette and have distinctive curled edges that give the plant it's common name. The flowers are produced in clusters on spikes that extend from the stems, with the largest cluster at the plant's apex. The seeds are shiny, brown in hue and are enclosed in the calyx (sepals) of the flower that gave rise to them. This calyx both allows the seed to float in water and enables it to catch on animal fur.
Curled dock is a native of Europe and western Asia and is most commonly found on roadsides, cultivated land and amidst low-maintenance crops.
The leaves can be used as a vegetable and, unless very young, need to be boiled in several changes of water before being served, as they contain high levels of oxalic acid and may be bitter. The young leaves can be added to salads or they can be wilted by frying in butter. Leaves should be picked before the stems develop and are best picked in early spring or late autumn (outside this time they can be very bitter). Treat as a potherb and blanch in several changes of water before use. The stems are also edible and should be peeled and blanched before use. The inner core is quite tender and tasty and can be used in place of rhubarb.
The seeds are also edible but are fiddly to collect in large quantities. They can be ground to make a flour or can be roasted and then ground to make a coffee substitute. It is recommended that this plant is only seldom consumed due to the high levels of oxalic acid. In spring, however, leaves are very rich in vitamins and minerals, especially iron and the vitamins A and C and it was frequently consumed as a spring vegetable in the Middle Ages.
The leaves also make a great wrapping for fish or other meats prior to pit cooking, clay baking or baking in embers.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Curled Dock recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 3 recipes in total:
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| Dock Rissoles Origin: Ancient | Nysebek (A Dish, Nice for the Mouth) Origin: England | Pork and Wild Food Curry Origin: Britain |
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