OUR FEATURE
Watercress is Britain's most historic salad leaf. It used to be a staple part of the working class diet, most often eaten for breakfast in a sandwich. If the family was too poor to buy bread they ate it by itself and so watercress became known as 'poor man's bread.'
In the early 19th century street sellers would buy it from the market and add their own value to the watercress by forming it into bunches. In those days, bunches were handheld and eaten ice-cream cone style. Otherwise known as Rorripa nasturtium, watercress is a member of the cruciferae family, and so related to broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, horseradish and pak choi. In 500BC, Hippocrates the father of medicine, is said to have located his first hospital close to a stream to ensure fresh watercress to help treat his patients.
Believed to have originated in Greece, watercress was enjoyed widely as a food and herbal remedy throughout the Mediterranean and the ancient Greeks believed it could brighten their intellect, hence the proverb "Eat watercress and get wit." Greek soldiers were given it as a tonic before going into battle and the 16th Century herbalist Culpepper claimed it could cleanse the blood. Eating a bag of watercress is still thought to be a good cure for a hang-over!
Grown in mineral-rich spring water, drawn from deep under the Hampshire and Dorset Downs, watercress is one of our natural superfoods. Gram for gram, watercress contains as much vitamin C as oranges, more calcium than whole milk, more folate than bananas and more iron than spinach. It's packed with beta-carotene and vitamin A equivalents, which are great for healthy skin and eyes. And new research shows it is emerging as an important player in the field of cancer prevention.
For more information visit www.watercress.co.uk
TRY OUR RECIPES
Baked trout with leek and English butter watercress
Watercress souffle
Watercress soup
Salmon, watercress and mustard pasta bake
Chicken, watercress and orange salad
