Garden cress

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 English cresse), 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.<ref>Cassidy, Frederic Gomes and Hall, Joan Houston. Dictionary of American regional English, Harvard University Press, 2002. Page 97. Template:ISBN, Template:ISBN</ref><ref name=Staub>Staub, Jack E, Buchert, Ellen. 75 Exceptional Herbs for Your Garden Published by Gibbs Smith, 2008. Template:ISBN, 9781423602514</ref>

This annual plant can reach a height of Template:Cvt, with many branches on the upper part. The white to pinkish flowers are only Template:Cvt across, clustered in small branched racemes.<ref>Vegetables of Canada. Published by NRC Research Press. Template:ISBN, Template:ISBN</ref><ref>Boswell, John T. and Sowerby, James. English Botany: Or, Coloured Figures of British Plants. Robert Hardwicke, 1863. Page 215.</ref>

When consumed raw, cress is a high-nutrient food containing substantial content of vitamins A, C and K and several dietary minerals.

In agriculture

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.<ref name="Canada">Vegetables of Canada. NRC Research Press. Template:ISBN, Template:ISBN</ref>

Edible shoots are typically harvested in one to two weeks after planting, when they are Template:Convert tall.<ref name="moosewood">Hirsch, David P.. The Moosewood Restaurant kitchen garden: creative gardening for the adventurous cook. Ten Speed Press, 2020. Template:ISBN, Template:ISBN</ref>

Culinary uses

Garden cress is added to soups, sandwiches and salads for its tangy flavour.<ref name="moosewood"/> It is also eaten as sprouts, and the fresh or dried seed pods can be used as a peppery seasoning (haloon).<ref name=Canada/> In the United Kingdom, cut cress shoots are commonly used in sandwiches with boiled eggs and mayonnaise.<ref name="Prestige Egg and Cress sandwich">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Tesco Egg and Cress Sandwich">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Guardian Perfect Egg Sandwich">Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Nutritional value

Nutrition

Raw cress is 89% water, 6% carbohydrates (including 1% dietary fiber), 3% protein and less than 1% fat (table). In a Template:Convert reference quantity, raw cress supplies Template:Convert 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).

Other uses

Template:Further Garden cress, known as chandrashoor, and the seeds, known as aaliv or aleev in Marathi, or halloon<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in India, are commonly used in the system of Ayurveda.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is also known as asario in India<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the Middle East where it is prized as a medicinal herb, called habbat al hamra (literally red seeds) in Arabic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the Arabian Peninsula, the seeds are traditionally mixed with custard to make a hot drink.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gallery

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  Timelapse of garden cress sprouting.
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  Young Lepidium sativum seedlings
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  Garden cress saag (known as chamsur in Nepali) is a popular dish in Nepalese cuisine.
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  The seeds of garden cress

See also

• List of vegetables
• Watercress soup