Rock Samphire
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Rock Samphire is comprised of short, sprawling, upright stems that produce branching, slender leaves. Each leaf is narrow, mostly straight, and tapers to a point, averaging 2 to 5 centimeters in length and 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter. The leaves also have a thick, fleshy, and rounded nature with a semi-smooth, rubbery, and pliable surface. Rock Samphire leaves range in color from bright green, lime green, yellow-green, to dusty green, depending on the season and growing environment. The young stems and leaves have a chewy, succulent, and semi-aqueous consistency. In addition to the edible stems and leaves, the plants produce umbels of yellow-green, yellow, or white flowers, each bearing five petals. These flowers are tiny and later transform into edible seeds, which are also foraged and consumed for their mild flavor. When gently crushed, Rock Samphire releases a citrusy, green, and aniseed-like aroma. The stems, leaves, buds, and seeds are edible, raw, or cooked and have a distinctly salty, pungent, herbal, and grassy taste with parsley, carrot, lemon, and pine undertones.
Seasons/Availability
Rock Samphire is available in the late spring through fall, with a peak season between May and October.
Current Facts
Rock Samphire, botanically classified as Crithmum maritimum, is a wild, perennial species belonging to the Apiaceae family. The low-growing plants typically reach 30 to 50 centimeters in height and are a type of halophyte, meaning they are a species found in saline environments that can thrive in salt-infused and sea-sprayed soils. The name Rock Samphire was given to the species for its presence along rocky coastal shorelines. Samphire was derived from the French name “Herbe de Saint Pierre,” which means “Herb of Saint Peter,” a descriptor also given for the plant’s affinity for maritime habitats. Saint Peter is known as the patron saint of fishermen and things related to the sea. It is also important to note that the term samphire is also used for a different and unrelated species, Salicornia europaea. This species is commonly referred to as Marsh Samphire, Glasswort, or Sea Asparagus. Marsh Samphire is more readily found in wild landscapes and has a salty but milder taste than Rock Samphire. Throughout history, Rock Samphire has remained a wild species primarily utilized as a foraged plant for medicinal and culinary purposes. The leaves, seeds, stems, and flowers are prized for their distinct, salty, herbal, and fresh taste and are incorporated raw or cooked in culinary preparations. In the modern day, Rock Samphire has become a specialty item and is foraged as a delicacy, mainly in the Mediterranean and shorelines throughout the United Kingdom. The species is known by many names in markets, including Sea Fennel and Sea Samphire in England, Paccasassi in the Marche region of Italy, Kritamos, Crithmon, and Crithiumum in Greece, Fenouil de Mer in France, Hinojo Marino in Spain, and Craobhraic in Ireland.
Nutritional Value
Rock Samphire is known for its high vitamin C content, which helps strengthen the immune system and protect the body's overall health. Barrels of foraged Rock Samphire were rumored to have once been carried on ships and given to sailors to help guard against scurvy. The species also marked rising sea levels, as Rock Samphire does not grow in water and tidal zones. Shipwrecked sailors would rest above Rock Samphire along shorelines at night without fear of high tides reaching them. This life-saving characteristic led Rock Samphire to earn the nickname Mermaid’s Kiss, as legend has it that mermaids can save sailors from drowning. Rock Samphire was considered the mythical life-saving mermaid on land. Along with its folkloric reputation, Rock Samphire is also a source of beta-carotene, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, vitamin E to fight against free radicals and inflammation, calcium to support bones, and other nutrients, including vitamin A, iron, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and potassium. In natural medicines, Rock Samphire is utilized for its diuretic properties and is believed to help remove kidney stones. Essential oils are also extracted and used in anti-aging creams and soaps, while various astringent properties are incorporated into treatments for the scalp.
Applications
Rock Samphire has a fresh, salty, lemony, grassy, and herbal flavor suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The young leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds are edible, with the stems and leaves bearing the strongest, most distinct flavoring. Rock Samphire leaves and flowers are popularly sprinkled raw into salads, adding flavor, visual appeal, and texture. The leaves can also be blended into sauces, especially in pesto, chopped into salsa, or stuffed into sandwiches. Small amounts of the plant are used as fresh garnishes, sprinkled over seafood-based dishes, pizza, grain bowls, or sushi. Many regional recipes throughout the Mediterranean utilize the foraged greens in slightly different variations. In addition to using raw, Rock Samphire is famously pickled in olive oil or vinegar brine and served as a tangy condiment. Pickled Rock Samphire can be added to egg dishes, meat dishes, coleslaws, or strong-flavored cheeses. Rock Samphire is also notably added to fish dishes, mainly oily fish, like sardines, mackerel, and herring. The greens are infused into soups, broths, sauces, or chopped garnishes. Beyond pickling, Rock Samphire is steamed, blanched, stir-fried, or boiled to mellow its flavor. The milder greens are added to soups, stirred into vegetable dishes, or cooked into stews. In Cornwall, England, Rock Samphire is used in the well-known stargazer pie, while in Italy, the plant is minced into a topping for toasted bread. Seasonally, Rock Samphire seeds can be dried, ground, and used as a spice. The leaves can also be dried and incorporated as a salt substitute into dishes. Rock Samphire pairs well with spices such as coriander, allspice, garlic, ginger, and allspice, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and meats such as fish, beef, and wild game. Freshly harvested Rock Samphire should be immediately used for the best quality and flavor and will only last for a few days in the refrigerator. Pickled or preserved Rock Samphire will keep for an extended period.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Rock Samphire is prevalent in the maritime folklore of southeastern England. The species grows wild along steep, rocky coastlines and was a prized foraged culinary ingredient to collect and ship into London. During the 17th and 19th centuries, Rock Samphire was shipped in barrels filled with seawater and was promoted by London street vendors. Local lore states that the salty greens were sold as Crest Marine, and street vendors would cry out this name to the public to sell the specialty ingredient in markets as an accompaniment to meat and seafood. Printed publications dramatizing the act of collecting Rock Samphire along cliff faces also added to the public’s interest in the foraged plants. Shakespeare famously referenced the practice of collecting Rock Samphire from cliffs and dangerous shoreline locations. In his play King Lear, Shakespeare depicts a scene in the fields near Dover during Act IV, Scene VI. During this scene, one of the characters, Edgar, recites, “Come on, sir; here’s the place: stand still. How fearful and dizzy ’tis, to cast one’s eyes so low! The crows and choughs that wing the midway air show scarce so gross as beetles: halfway down hangs one that gathers samphire, dreadful trade!” Shakespeare’s reference to collecting Rock Samphire was thought to have been derived from the author’s time spent in Dover while writing the play. At the time, Rock Samphire was believed to have been frequently collected from the cliffs around Dover, a city in southeastern England. In the modern day, the cliff landscape in Dover that was rumored to have inspired Shakespeare is now named Shakespeare’s Cliff.
Geography/History
Rock Samphire is native to regions of Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa and has been growing wild since ancient times. The species is thought to have origins along coastlines throughout the Mediterranean, European Atlantic, and Black Sea and naturally thrives on rocky shorelines and cliffsides. Rock Samphire was referenced in ancient texts, including stories mentioned in Greek mythology, such as Theseus and the Minotaur. The species was also featured in the medicinal writings of Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder, and Hippocrates. Historically, Rock Samphire has experienced periods of popularity and obscurity. The species was a favored foraged green between the 17th and 19th centuries in the Mediterranean and the United Kingdom, and the first known use of the name Samphire was traced back to the mid-16th century. Rock Samphire was a favored medicinal and culinary ingredient and became intertwined into local lore as a magical plant. Over time, overharvesting during these centuries led foragers to mix Marsh Samphire into Rock Samphire for larger harvests. This led to confusion between the two species and the eventual diffusion of the samphire name. By the 20th century, Rock Samphire became scarce in wild populations, and consumers began shifting to the purchase of Marsh Samphire as a delicacy. In 1971, Rock Samphire became a protected plant in some regions of England, allowing wild populations to increase availability for sustainable foraging. Today, Rock Samphire is still found in wild populations in its native growing areas and is a specialty foraged green. Some gardeners cultivate the species on a small scale in private gardens, but it is worth noting these plants will bear a different, less salty flavor as they are not being grown in a high-salinity environment. The Rock Samphire featured in the photograph above was sustainably foraged from a coastal habitat in Westgate-On-Sea, a community in Kent, England.
