Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to European Pellitory along with all the European Pellitory containing recipes presented on this site, with 4 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 European Pellitory as a major wild food ingredient.

European Pellitory, Achillea ptarmica (also known as Bastard Pellitory, Fair-maid-of-France, Goose Tongue, Sneezeweed, Sneezewort, Sneezewort Yarrow, Wild Pellitory and White Tansy) is an hardy perennial belonging to the Asteraceae (daisy) family of flowering plants. It is a native of Europe (excluding the Mediterranean) with a range extending from Britain, west to Siberia and Western Asia and grows in full sun in damp places.

The plant is an perennial, growing to some 60cm high and forms clumps about 60ml in diameter. It is quite hardy, and has dark green leaves that have finely-toothed margins. The plant flowers from June to October and bears loose clusters of white, button-like flowers that are self-fertile. It can grow in any soil type, but prefers moist soils (that are not waterlogged) and cannot tolerate shade, however it can tolerate the salinity of maritime environments.

Like it's close cousin, the Oxeye Daisy, the leaves of European pellitory are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. Typically, however, they are used sparingly as a flavouring in salads. It should be noted that during Roman and Medieval times the leaves of the plant were dried and used as a spice for flavouring sauces. The dried, powdered, leaves were also used as a form of sneezing powder (hence the common name of sneeze-wort).

European pellitory leaves can be used in any recipe where you would otherwise use oxeye daisy leaves or chopsuey greens. No toxic effects have been noted in humans, but it should be mentioned that the plant is poisonous to cattle, sheep and horses.

It is typically found in wetland environments: damp meadows, marshes and by streams.

The flowers and leaves are edible. Leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a potherb and are often employed as a flavouring in salads. It earns it name by means of its numbing effect on the tongue, which is comparable to the effects of Sichuan pepper. This characteristic is shared by all parts of the plant, but is most characteristic of the flowers. The flowers are typically used as a garnish. A tisane (herbal tea) can be made from the flowers.

This makes sneezewort the culinary equivalent of Brazilan jambú (also known as: buzz buttons, Sichuan buttons, paracress, and electric daisies [Acmella oleracea], flowers that add a numbing note to soups). Just like sneezewort, it's not just the flowers of Acmella oleracea that are used because of their numbing effect, it's the leaves as well.

The plant is called 'sneezewort' in English ad the stems, leaves and flowers used to be dried, ground up and used as a type of snuff.

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