Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Marsh Samphire along with all the Marsh Samphire containing recipes presented on this site, with 15 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 Marsh Samphire as a major wild food ingredient.

Marsh Samphire, (also known as glasswort and Sea Asparagus), represents a genus (Salicornia) of succulent, salt tolerant plants that grow in salt marshes, on beaches, and among mangroves and are native to Europe and the United States. The common European glasswort is Salicornia europea which is more commonly referred to simply as Marsh Samphire. This is a small (about 25cm tall) green succulent herb with a jointed horizontal main stem and erect lateral branches. The leaves are small and scale-like and as such the plant may appear leafless. It grows extensively in estuarine salt marshes and was collected extensively during Elizabethan times.

The plant makes excellent eating and for anyone living near to the sea this plant will be their first introduction to foraging in the wild. It is best picked in June and July when the stems are young and succulent. If collecting always wash in sea water before taking home and wash as little as possible in fresh water as the rigidity of the stem is dependent on the salt water within it. This will be leached out if the plant is kept too long in fresh water. When young they can be eaten raw and used thus for salads or garnishes. Otherwise they can be boiled like asparagus for about eight minutes in salted water before being served with salted water. Tender samphire tops make and excellent accompaniment to fish and pasta dishes. Samphire can also be pickled. Just pack the stems into a pickling jar and cover with spiced pickling vinegar.

The plant is famous in Norfolk, where pickled samphire has been served as a bar-top nibble for many years. Recently samphire has begun to appear on the menus of trendy restaurants. Mainly as a garnish though increasingly as an integral part of fish and seafood dishes.

Marsh samphire is best picked when about 15cm tall. Take only the top 10cm, leaving 5cm behind to generate new shoots. The plant is typically picked in late summer and can often be bought commercially in August. The stems are very succulent and can be eaten raw or cooked as a potherb. However, the lower stems may have a wooden core (but this is easily removed). Growing in estuarine or semi-maritime conditions the plant typically has a salty taste and it makes an excellent nibble, particularly with beer.

The seeds are rich in protein, but are hard to gather in any quantity. The seeds can be dried and ground to a flour. They can also be pressed to extract an oil, which is of very high culinary quality.

Its salty taste often means that marsh samphire is served as a vegetable to accompany fish. It is also excellent added to stir-fries.

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