The image, above, shows the full sweet flag (Acorus calamus)growing in water with the rhizome (bottom right) and a flower
spike (top right).
| Common Name: Sweet Flag |
| Scientific Name: Acorus calamus |
| Other Names: Sway, Muskrat Root, Flagroot, Fortunate bullrush, Myrtle flag, Sweet cane and Sweet sedge |
| Family: Asteraceae |
| Range: Europe, Asia and N. America. Naturalized in Britain |
Physical Characteristics
Sweet Flag, Acorus calamus is a perennial growing 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a medium rate. It is hardy to UK zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It is typically found in moist soils and shallow water in ditches, marshes, river edges and ponds.
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| Edible Parts: Rhizomes, Stems, Leaves, Flowers |
 Edibility Rating: 3 
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 Known Hazards: The fresh root can be poisonous. The essential oil in the roots of some populations of this plant contains the compound asarone. This has tranquillising and antibiotic activity, but is also potentially toxic and carcinogenic. However, it seems that The essential oil in the roots of some populations of this plant contains the compound asarone. This has tranquillising and antibiotic activity, but is also potentially toxic (or at least emetic) and carcinogenic. It should be noted that the rhizome (but not the isolated essential oil) has been used in India for thousands of years without reports of cancer which suggests that using the whole herb is completely safe, though more research is needed. To be safe, only use dried or cooked rhizomes of the plants.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Sweet Flag along with all the Sweet Flag containing recipes presented on this site, with 2 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 Sweet Flag as a major wild food ingredient.
Sweet Flag, Acorus calamus is a tall wetland monocot of the family Acoraceae, in the genus Acorus. Although used in traditional medicine over centuries to treat digestive disorders and pain, there is no clinical evidence for its safety or efficacy.
Sweet flag is a herbaceous perennial, 2 m (79 in) tall.[4] Its leaves resemble those of the iris family. Sweet flag consists of tufts of basal leaves that rise from a spreading rhizome.[4] The leaves are erect yellowish-brown, radical, with pink sheathing at their bases, sword-shaped, flat and narrow, tapering into a long, acute point, and have parallel veins. The leaves have smooth edges, which can be wavy or crimped. The sweet flag can be distinguished from iris and other similar plants by the crimped edges of the leaves, the fragrant odour it emits when crushed, and the presence of a spadix.
Only plants that grow in water bear flowers. The solid, triangular flower-stems rise from the axils of the outer leaves. A semi-erect spadix emerges from one side of the flower stem. The spadix is solid, cylindrical, tapers at each end, and is 5 to 10 cm in length. A covering spathe, as is usual with Araceae, is absent. The spadix is densely crowded with tiny greenish-yellow flowers. Each flower contains six petals and stamens enclosed in a perianth with six divisions, surrounding a three-celled, oblong ovary with a sessile stigma. The flowers are sweetly fragrant.[5][6] In Europe, it flowers for about a month in late spring or early summer, but does not bear fruit. The fruit is a berry filled with mucus, which when ripe falls into the water and disperses by floating. In Asia, it also fruits sparingly, and propagates itself mainly by growth of its rhizome, forming colonies
Sweet flag grows in India, Nepal, central Asia, southern Russia and Siberia, Europe and North America. Habitats include edges of small lakes, ponds and rivers, marshes, swamps, and other wetlands. It is an introduced plant in the UK and was introduced in the 16th century. Indeed, by y at least 1596, true Acorus calamus was grown in Britain, as it is listed in The Catalogue, a list of plants John Gerard grew in his garden at Holborn.
The young stalks can be pulled when under 30 cm (12 in); the inner stems can be eaten raw. The roots can be washed, peeled, cut into small pieces, boiled, and simmered in syrup to make candy. The flower spikes have a sweet taste and can be sliced and used in salads. The rhizomes ("roots") of sweet flag have flavours of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg and have long been used in medicinal preparations, perfumes, pipe tobacco and as a spice. Dry and powder them and add to masalas. A pinch of the powdered rhizome is also used as a flovouring in tea. The candied rhizomes can be used like crystallised ginger in desserts. The rhizome makes a palatable vegetable when roasted. Young leaves can be cooked and eaten (note that they contain oxalic acid and should be cooked prior to consumption). In a similar manner to screwpine leaf, he leaves can be used to flavour custards. The inner portion of young stems is eaten raw and makes a palatable salad vegetable.
[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 Sweet Flag as a major wild food ingredient.
Sweet Flag, Acorus calamus is a tall wetland monocot of the family Acoraceae, in the genus Acorus. Although used in traditional medicine over centuries to treat digestive disorders and pain, there is no clinical evidence for its safety or efficacy.
Sweet flag is a herbaceous perennial, 2 m (79 in) tall.[4] Its leaves resemble those of the iris family. Sweet flag consists of tufts of basal leaves that rise from a spreading rhizome.[4] The leaves are erect yellowish-brown, radical, with pink sheathing at their bases, sword-shaped, flat and narrow, tapering into a long, acute point, and have parallel veins. The leaves have smooth edges, which can be wavy or crimped. The sweet flag can be distinguished from iris and other similar plants by the crimped edges of the leaves, the fragrant odour it emits when crushed, and the presence of a spadix.
Only plants that grow in water bear flowers. The solid, triangular flower-stems rise from the axils of the outer leaves. A semi-erect spadix emerges from one side of the flower stem. The spadix is solid, cylindrical, tapers at each end, and is 5 to 10 cm in length. A covering spathe, as is usual with Araceae, is absent. The spadix is densely crowded with tiny greenish-yellow flowers. Each flower contains six petals and stamens enclosed in a perianth with six divisions, surrounding a three-celled, oblong ovary with a sessile stigma. The flowers are sweetly fragrant.[5][6] In Europe, it flowers for about a month in late spring or early summer, but does not bear fruit. The fruit is a berry filled with mucus, which when ripe falls into the water and disperses by floating. In Asia, it also fruits sparingly, and propagates itself mainly by growth of its rhizome, forming colonies
Sweet flag grows in India, Nepal, central Asia, southern Russia and Siberia, Europe and North America. Habitats include edges of small lakes, ponds and rivers, marshes, swamps, and other wetlands. It is an introduced plant in the UK and was introduced in the 16th century. Indeed, by y at least 1596, true Acorus calamus was grown in Britain, as it is listed in The Catalogue, a list of plants John Gerard grew in his garden at Holborn.
The young stalks can be pulled when under 30 cm (12 in); the inner stems can be eaten raw. The roots can be washed, peeled, cut into small pieces, boiled, and simmered in syrup to make candy. The flower spikes have a sweet taste and can be sliced and used in salads. The rhizomes ("roots") of sweet flag have flavours of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg and have long been used in medicinal preparations, perfumes, pipe tobacco and as a spice. Dry and powder them and add to masalas. A pinch of the powdered rhizome is also used as a flovouring in tea. The candied rhizomes can be used like crystallised ginger in desserts. The rhizome makes a palatable vegetable when roasted. Young leaves can be cooked and eaten (note that they contain oxalic acid and should be cooked prior to consumption). In a similar manner to screwpine leaf, he leaves can be used to flavour custards. The inner portion of young stems is eaten raw and makes a palatable salad vegetable.
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 Sweet Flag recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 2 recipes in total:
Page 1 of 1
| Pork and Wild Food Curry Origin: Britain | Wild Masala Origin: Britain |
Page 1 of 1