Thai or Wild Watercress is a species of Alternanthera and a perennial vegetable that love the sun and grows well in wet soil. It has a nice reddish hue to the green foliage and makes for a unique ornament to your garden at the same time.
How do you eat Thai watercress?
You can eat the leaves raw but make sure you wash thoroughly, soak in water with hydrogen peroxide to remove pollutants or parasites. There are lots of recipes on how to make a soup using bone / anchovy stock. You can also make a cooling sweet drink by boiling the leaves and stems with honey rock sugar.
Are there different types of watercress?
There are three major groups of cress: watercress (Nasturtium officinale), garden cress (Lepidium sativum) and upland cress (Barbarea verna).
How do you grow Thai watercress?
Watercress can be propagated via stem cuttings or sown from seeds. Sow the seed just below the surface, about ¼ inch (0.5 cm.), three weeks before the last frost-free date in your region. It is important to keep the soil of potted watercress plants moist or the plant will not germinate.
What is watercress?
Watercress is an often overlooked leafy green that packs a powerful nutrient punch. Its small, round leaves and edible stems have a peppery, slightly spicy flavor. Watercress is part of the Brassicaceae family of vegetables, which also includes kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage ( 1 ).
Is watercress the same as spinach?
Spinach is richer not only in vitamins but in minerals as well. Spinach has 15 times more iron, five times more zinc, and nearly four times more magnesium than watercress. Spinach is also richer in potassium, copper and contains higher levels of sodium. Watercress contains more calcium and phosphorus.
What are the benefits of eating watercress?
Eating watercress can help support the health of your heart. Antioxidants (carotenoids in particular) have been linked to lower blood pressure, lower risk of heart disease, and even a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.
What is watercress called in America?
watercress, (Nasturtium officinale), also called cress, perennial aquatic plant of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), native to Eurasia and naturalized throughout North America. Watercress thrives in cool flowing streams, where it grows submerged, floating on the water, or spread over mud surfaces.
What is the local name for watercress?
Watercress or yellowcress (Nasturtium officinale) is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae.
| Watercress | |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Nasturtium |
| Species: | N. officinale |
| Binomial name | |
| Nasturtium officinale W.T.Aiton |
Can you eat too much watercress?
When taken by mouth: Watercress is LIKELY SAFE in the amounts found in food. Watercress is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth in amounts used in medicine, short-term. When it is used long-term or in very large amounts, watercress is POSSIBLY UNSAFE and can cause damage to the stomach.
Does watercress grow back after cutting?
Harvesting your watercress
Start picking when the stems are large enough to handle, about 4 or 5″ in length, ensuring that a couple of leaves are left on the plant at the base. They will then readily re-sprout and a continual harvest can be achieved, throughout the summer and autumn months.
Can you plant watercress from the grocery store?
You can also start growing from mature watercress purchased at a supermarket or farmer’s market. Cut the ends, then soak the base of the stalks in water for a few days to encourage root growth and proceed to plant them in soil as you would from seed.
How can you tell if watercress is bad?
How to tell if watercress is bad or spoiled? Watercress that is spoiling will typically become soft and discolored; discard any watercress that has an off smell or appearance.
What does watercress taste like?
A : Raw watercress has a peppery taste, similar to other related plants like mustard and wasabi. Once cooked the pepperiness of watercress diminishes, leaving a distinctive vegetable flavour which tastes delicious in soups, stews and stir fries. More mature watercress can sometimes taste slightly bitter.
Does watercress make you poop?
Promotes healthy bowel regularity – crops known as ‘bitters’ which have a sharp, pungent taste or smell, like the peppery flavour of watercress, and are high in fibre, help to promote healthy and regular bowel movements and prevent constipation.
Is watercress good for high blood pressure?
Overview. Like beetroot , watercress contains natural nitrates. When chewed in the mouth these are converted by beneficial bacteria to nitrites and once in the stomach to gaseous nitrogen which enters the bloodstream dilating blood vessels and LOWERING blood pressure.
Which is healthier watercress or kale?
Watercress scores a whopping 1000 on the scale putting it in joint first place with kale, right at the top of the crops and way ahead of blueberries, edamame, broccoli and spinach.
Is watercress healthier than lettuce?
Lettuce contains more dietary fibers than watercress (2.4 and 0.5 g of fiber per 100 g of lettuce and watercress, respectively) and this might partly explain the lower glycemic response observed after consuming a meal with lettuce compared to watercress.
Is watercress good for kidneys?
Watercress is suitable for all ages, except for those with kidney stones or who are at risk of kidney stones. This is because watercress contains a lot of oxalates, compounds that can cause stones to form. For this reason, it’s important not to eat too much watercress, or ask a health professional for advice.
What’s the best way to eat watercress?
Happy cooking!
- Salads. It may seem obvious but watercress is the perfect base for any salad, adding crunch, a peppery flavour, and a vibrant dark green colour.
- Smoothies.
- Soup.
- Sandwiches.
- Sauce.
- Pesto.
- Stir fries.
- Dips.
What is the number 1 healthiest food in the world?
So, having scoured the full list of applicants, we have crowned kale as the number 1 healthiest food out there. Kale has the widest range of benefits, with the fewest drawbacks when stacked up against its competitors.
Elvira Bowen is a food expert who has dedicated her life to understanding the science of cooking. She has worked in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, and has published several cookbooks that have become bestsellers. Elvira is known for her creative approach to cuisine, and her passion for teaching others about the culinary arts.