Samphire - in uppity restaurants

[Jodie]

Last week I bought Time Out (London's listings magazine) and there was a full page
article about Norfolk samphire (Salicornia europaea) and how it is becoming increasingly
popular in the sorts of restaurants that I never seem to get invited to

"Samphire is everything that food fashionistas hold dear: seasonal, British and expensive"
costing around £10 per kilo.

In the picture it looked like a cross between bamboo and sugar snap peas and the
article's author collected some for his own dinner party at which it was a success.

I expect there's not much growing near my flat but I've spotted LOADS of common
mallow growing nearby - with a name like that, not unexpected - and according to
Richard Mabey's book I can feast on that. The challenge is that it seems to be
growing in people's gardens...hmm.

EDIT
What I meant to ask was... who's eaten samphire that they've collected themselves
and who's discovered it in a restaurant?

 

[Toadflax]

Never had it myself, but the fishmongers in Oxford's covered market often has samphire. Just out of curiosity, I'll try and remember to check the price next time I'm passing.


Geoff

 

[xylaria]

I have eaten fresh picked from the harbour at blakeney in north norfolk. lightly boiled with a butter.

ITS GOOD, ITS REALLY GOOD. It tastes like the best freshest asparagus spears flavoured with taste of the sea.

 

[swyn]

Samphire and Grey Mullet.....Both fresh.....yum!

Swyn.

 

[Ketchup]

I have a language problem here

Salicornia spp. grows plenty everywhere on salt marshes and you will find it in nearly every French supermarket, fresh or canned or marinated. It cannot be that expensive. But I thought the English name for Salicornia was glasswort???
The "real" samphire is a extremely pungent plant, Crithmum maritimum, (Apiaceae) aka sea fennel, that grows on the cliffs and taste like asparageous when young. That's very good and rare and should be expensive or downright protected.:AR15firin

 

[seany boy]

We usually pick our own every summer, living near the Lincolnshire coast we have plenty of it growing on our saltmarshes and would never dream of buying it. Infact i've still got some of last years (pickled).


Ketchup.
The guy's here are talking about salicornia species which is known as Marsh samphire,Glasswort or confusingly just "Samphire".

Crithmum maritimum is usually known as Rock samphire but probably is also known as just "Samphire" where it grows locally.

 

[Jodie]

Wikipedia's Samphire page has one of those 'disambiguation' bits at the top where they
explain the different names - rock, marsh, glasswort etc. The picture given in that page
is the same as the one in the Time Out article (of course they could both be wrong!):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samphire

same plant, not same photo that is.

 

[Northern Giant UK]

Yep, used to pick it (pop it in a bucket) take it home boiled it and ate it when i was a kid (I grew up in Grimsby) tasted ok but a bit salty for a kids taste i spose.

Kev

 

[spamel]

I have eaten fresh picked from the harbour at blakeney in north norfolk. lightly boiled with a butter.

ITS GOOD, ITS REALLY GOOD. It tastes like the best freshest asparagus spears flavoured with taste of the sea.

Isn't Blakeney a lovely part of the world? Nice and quiet! I have a friend who lives there.

 

[tomtom]

Funny time out should say its a new thing the restaurants around here have used it for yonks. It grows up the creek and I have collected it there. One of the most satisfying wild plant foods to collect, I think, because it tastes nice!

 

[Jodie]

They did mention that some restaurants have been using it for a few years but I expect it's
reached the point where it's getting talked about in the mainstream. ... er obviously

 

[jdlenton]

I agree tom samphire has been used in restaurants for a long time you can even buy it pickled or in brine in good deils. I was having a conversation with my mum last summer about samphire as it grows abundantly around my folks place in france (some of the locals even farm it) and weed been out to pick some for dinner she was recounting stories of it being served in the 70's and peopl flocking to the restaurants to try it.

J*

 

[Toadflax]

They had a tray of it when I walked past the fishmongers in Oxford Market this morning, but it was too early for them to have prices displayed. If you live near Oxford, you probably have to buy it (rather than gather it) - Oxford is about as far from the sea as it is possible to get in the UK. That's why they built the Harwell nuclear research lab near here after the war - so that Russian bombers would have to fly over the maximum amount of land to get to Harwell.

EDIT: just checked at lunchtime today - samphire is selling at £12.95/kg in Oxford market.


Geoff

 

[xylaria]

£12.95 a kilo:Wow: , do you think british saltmarshes will be damaged by commercial foraging?

If the price of a wild food that can be easily seen is at a premium, is there too much of a financial incentive to over harvest?

Do you think someone sitting in a restaurant in London, has any idea how delicate a habitat a saltmarsh is?

Or am I a cynical old bat?

 

[jdlenton]

the regulated salt marsh my folk live in is an ideal place to farm samphire and they do so there already is commercial production i bet most of what is sold comes from sources like this but you do have a point.

 

[twisted firestarter]

Picked marsh samphire at Mont St. Michel in France years ago, washed it thoroughly then steamed it and served with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Very tasty- as Professor Gordon Hillman would say