Garden cress | |
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One mature Lepidium sativum rosette | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Brassicales |
Family: | Brassicaceae |
Genus: | Lepidium |
Species: | L. sativum |
Binomial name | |
Lepidium sativum L. | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Cress (Lepidium sativum), sometimes referred to as garden cress (or curly cress) to distinguish it from similar plants also referred to as cress (from old Germanic cresso which means sharp, spicy), is a rather fast-growing, edible herb.
Garden cress is genetically related to watercress and mustard, sharing their peppery, tangy flavour and aroma. In some regions, garden cress is known as mustard and cress, garden pepper cress, pepperwort, pepper grass, or poor man's pepper. [2] [3]
This annual plant can reach a height of 60 cm (24 in), with many branches on the upper part. The white to pinkish flowers are only 2 mm (1⁄16 in) across, clustered in small branched racemes. [4] [5]
When consumed raw, cress is a high-nutrient food containing substantial content of vitamins A, C and K and several dietary minerals.
Cultivation of cress is practical both on mass scales and on the individual scale. Garden cress is suitable for hydroponic cultivation and thrives in slightly alkaline water. In many local markets, the demand for hydroponically grown cress can exceed available supply, partially because cress leaves are not suitable for distribution in dried form, so they can only be partially preserved. Consumers commonly acquire cress as seeds or (in Europe) from markets as boxes of young live shoots. [6]
Edible shoots are typically harvested in one to two weeks after planting, when they are 5–13 cm (2–5 in) tall. [7]
Garden cress is added to soups, sandwiches and salads for its tangy flavour. [7] It is also eaten as sprouts, and the fresh or dried seed pods can be used as a peppery seasoning (haloon). [6] In the United Kingdom, cut cress shoots are commonly used in sandwiches with boiled eggs and mayonnaise. [8] [9] [10]
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
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Energy | 134 kJ (32 kcal) |
5.5 g | |
Sugars | 4.4 g |
Dietary fiber | 1.1 g |
0.7 g | |
2.6 g | |
Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
Vitamin A equiv. | 43% 346 μg38% 4150 μg12500 μg |
Thiamine (B1) | 7% 0.08 mg |
Riboflavin (B2) | 22% 0.26 mg |
Niacin (B3) | 7% 1 mg |
Pantothenic acid (B5) | 5% 0.247 mg |
Vitamin B6 | 19% 0.247 mg |
Folate (B9) | 20% 80 μg |
Vitamin C | 83% 69 mg |
Vitamin E | 5% 0.7 mg |
Vitamin K | 516% 541.9 μg |
Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
Calcium | 8% 81 mg |
Iron | 10% 1.3 mg |
Magnesium | 11% 38 mg |
Manganese | 26% 0.553 mg |
Phosphorus | 11% 76 mg |
Potassium | 20% 606 mg |
Other constituents | Quantity |
Water | 89.4 g |
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†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. |
Raw cress is 89% water, 6% carbohydrates (including 1% dietary fiber), 3% protein and less than 1% fat (table). In a 100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference quantity, raw cress supplies 134 kilojoules (32 kilocalories) of food energy and numerous nutrients in significant content, including vitamin K (516% of the Daily Value, DV), vitamin C (83% DV) and vitamin A (43% DV). Among dietary minerals, manganese levels are high (26% DV) while several others, including potassium and magnesium, are in moderate content (table).
Garden cress, known as chandrashoor, and the seeds, known as aaliv or aleev in Marathi, or halloon [11] in India, are commonly used in the system of Ayurveda. [12] It is also known as asario in India [13] and the Middle East where it is prized as a medicinal herb, called habbat al hamra (literally red seeds) in Arabic. [14] In the Arabian Peninsula, the seeds are traditionally mixed with custard to make a hot drink. [15]
L. sativum is often used in experiments to teach biology to students in schools. The plant grows readily on damp paper or cotton, and its fast germination and development time makes it useful in demonstrating plant growth. [16] [17]
Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin, is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa.
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Coriander, also known as cilantro, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking.
Watercress or yellowcress is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae.
Cochlearia is a genus of about 30 species of annual and perennial herbs in the family Brassicaceae. They are widely distributed in temperate and arctic areas of the northern hemisphere, most commonly found in coastal regions, on cliff-tops and salt marshes where their high tolerance of salt enables them to avoid competition from larger, but less salt-tolerant plants; they also occur in alpine habitats in mountains and tundra.
Nasturtium is a genus of a small number of plant species in the family Brassicaceae commonly known as watercress or yellowcress. The best known species are the edible Nasturtium officinale and Nasturtium microphyllum. Nasturtium was previously synonymised with Rorippa, but molecular evidence supports its maintenance as a distinct genus more closely related to Cardamine than to Rorippasensu stricto.
Barbarea verna is a biennial herb in the family Brassicaceae. Common names include land cress, American cress, bank cress, black wood cress, Belle Isle cress, Bermuda cress, poor man's cabbage, early yellowrocket, early wintercress, scurvy cress, creasy greens, and upland cress. It is native to southern Europe and western Asia, and naturalized elsewhere It has been cultivated as a leaf vegetable in England since the 17th century. As it requires less water than watercress, it is easier to cultivate.
Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad greens.
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Lepidium virginicum, also known as least pepperwort or Virginia pepperweed, is an herbaceous plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). It is native to much of North America, including most of the United States and Mexico and southern regions of Canada, as well as most of Central America. It can be found elsewhere as an introduced species.
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Lepidium oleraceum is a herb in the family Brassicaceae, endemic to New Zealand. Its English common name is Cook's scurvy grass; Māori names include nau, ngau, naunau and heketara.
Lepidium didymum, the lesser swine-cress, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae.
The history of spices reach back thousands of years, dating back to the 8th century B.C. Spices are widely known to be developed and discovered in Asian civilizations. Spices have been used in a variety of antique developments for their unique qualities. There were a variety of spices that were used for common purposes across the ancient world. Different spices hold a value that can create a variety of products designed to enhance or suppress certain taste and/or sensations. Spices were also associated with certain rituals to perpetuate a superstition or fulfill a religious obligation, among other things.
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