How and Why to Cook with Alexanders

The Romans valued the plant Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) highly and brought it over with them to the British Isles almost 2,000 years ago to use as a pot herb.

It was used widely before celery came into fashion (has celery really been in fashion?!). Celery has been mentioned as early as 1700s as a food and was used both as a cleanser and winter vegetable when greens were minimal.

So why do so many people say 'urgh' when they taste Alexanders?

It's all about how and when.

Every single part of Alexanders is edible - the root, stem, leaves, flowers and seeds (though personally I'm not keen on the flowers). That's not the case with every plant. However, you need to know for absolute certain that you have the right plant. This is essential, as Alexanders is a member of the Carrot family (Apiaceae, Umbelliferae) of which there are many wonderful edibles, and some DEADLY POISONOUS plants. As you can imagine, getting this right, is, essential, as I said.

That aside, the qualities of Alexanders are, I believe, worth searching out, especially in spring. Personally, these are a green I also forage through winter, yet they are definitely superior when they've been cultivated in the warmer soil and lighter days that March and  April offer.

My Tips for using Alexanders;

• Use only the mininal amount of leaves raw, otherwise cook them
• Start by using small amounts of this plant - as your taste buds mature you can use more
• Use in a bland base and balance the right flavours for broths, as in my Alexander soup recipe. Add to milk, cream, coconut or potato for frittatas, muffins, and even Alexanders infused into rum.
• Each part of the plant has different uses; leaves as a vegetable, young stems for candy and larger ones for stock, seeds as a spice
• The large stems are the sweetest, though can become very fibrous (this can be avoided by boiling them for flavour and discarding the fibre).

Oh, and if you'd like more tips on Alexanders, I can show you, for real, on my Spring wild food foraging courses

Related posts:

A Hearty Snack - Savoury Alexander Muffins Alexanders and Three-Cornered Leek Frittata Coconut and Alexander Seed Ice Cream Alexander Seeded Chocolate Truffles