Watercress

Also known asNasturtium officinale · 西洋菜

Name: Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) — a peppery, dark green, semi-aquatic leafy plant that grows in clean, flowing water. A separate Leafy Green Vegetables page covers it from a leafy-green angle.

Description

Watercress is native to Europe and Asia, and is one of the oldest leaf vegetables eaten by humans, with ancient Greeks, Romans and Persians eating it. It grows in streams and spring-fed beds, and was commercially grown in England from the 19th century. It became a cheap breakfast food for working people in Victorian Britain.

The leaves have a sharp, peppery, slightly mustardy flavour, from the same glucosinolates found in other brassicas. Because it grows in water, wild watercress should be avoided unless the water is known to be clean, since it can carry liver fluke parasites.

Main nutrition value

Watercress is a nutrient-dense leafy green, rich in vitamin K, vitamin C and vitamin A, and also provides calcium, folate and glucosinolates, for very few calories.

How best to be consumed

Watercress is best fresh, raw or lightly cooked.

1. Toss into salads and sandwiches, or use as a garnish with fish and eggs.
2. Blend into soups, such as classic watercress soup, which is cooked briefly and served hot or chilled.
3. Stir into sauces, pestos and smoothies.
4. Wilt briefly into stir-fries and omelettes.
5. Wash well, store in a glass of water in the fridge, and use within a few days.

Overconsumption could cause…

Watercress is safe and healthy in food amounts, with a point about wild plants.

1. Liver fluke and other parasites if wild watercress growing in contaminated water is eaten raw.
2. Possible effects on warfarin and similar blood-thinning medicines because of the high vitamin K content, so keep intake steady rather than avoiding them.
3. Possible effects on thyroid function in people with an underactive thyroid or iodine deficiency if very large amounts are eaten raw, since brassicas contain goitrogens; normal cooked servings are fine.
4. Stomach irritation from large amounts of very peppery cress.

GroupsCruciferous VegetablesLeafy Green VegetablesCruciferous (cabbage family)Low fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin CRich in vitamin KFresh

Related foodsBok Choy / Pak ChoyGai Lan / Chinese BroccoliMustard GreensRocket / ArugulaKaleCollard Greens

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