Sorrel

Name: Sorrel (Rumex acetosa), also called garden sorrel or common sorrel — a perennial leafy herb with arrow-shaped, bright green leaves and a sharp, lemony, sour taste. French sorrel (Rumex scutatus) has a more shield-shaped leaf and is milder.

Description

Sorrel is native to Europe and Asia and has been eaten since ancient times, and is a classic in French, Eastern European and West African cooking. In France, soupe à l'oseille and sorrel sauce for salmon are traditional, in Russia and Poland it is made into a green sorrel soup (schav), and in West Africa and the Caribbean, red sorrel (a different plant, hibiscus) is made into a drink.

The leaves' sour taste comes from oxalic acid, and they turn from bright green to a dull olive when cooked, melting into a soft puree. Young leaves are milder and can be eaten raw in salads in small amounts.

Main nutrition value

Sorrel provides vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium and iron, and is distinguished by its tart taste from oxalic acid.

How best to be consumed

Sorrel is used in small amounts, as a sour accent.

1. Melt into soups and sauces with butter, cream and eggs, for classic sorrel sauce with fish.
2. Add a few young leaves to salads and sandwiches for a lemony tang.
3. Stir into omelettes, risotto and potato dishes.
4. Cook briefly in a non-reactive pan, since the acid can react with aluminium and iron.
5. Wash well, and use soon after buying, since the leaves wilt quickly.

Overconsumption could cause…

Sorrel is safe in food amounts, with a note on oxalic acid.

1. Oxalates, which matter for people prone to kidney stones when eaten in very large amounts, and which reduce the absorption of calcium and iron from the leaves. Sorrel is particularly high in oxalic acid.
2. Stomach upset and mouth irritation from large amounts of raw sorrel.
3. Poisoning, rarely, from eating very large amounts, so it should be used as a seasoning rather than a staple.
4. Possible effects on kidney function in people with kidney disease, so they should avoid it.

GroupsLeafy Green VegetablesKnotweed family (Polygonaceae)Fresh

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Wikipedia — Common sorrel, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_sorrel