Garden cress
Encyclopedia


Garden cress is a fast-growing, edible herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...

 that is botanically related to watercress
Watercress
Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...

 and mustard
Mustard plant
Mustards are several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis whose small mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into the condiment known as mustard or prepared mustard...

, sharing their peppery, tangy flavor and aroma. In some regions, garden cress is known as mustard and cress, garden pepper cress, pepper grass, pepperwort or poor man's pepper.

This annual plant
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...

 can reach a height of 60 cm (~24 inches), with many branches on the upper part. The white to pinkish flowers are only 2 mm (1/12 of an inch) across, clustered in branched racemes.

Garden cress in agriculture

Garden Cress is commercially grown in England, France, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

Agriculturally, cress is considered among the most important species of the genus of the family of mustards
Mustard plant
Mustards are several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis whose small mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into the condiment known as mustard or prepared mustard...

. Cultivation of garden cress is practical on both mass scales and on the individual scale. Garden cress is suitable for hydroponic
Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, mineral wool, or coconut husk.Researchers discovered in the 18th...

 cultivation and thrives in water that is slightly alkaline. In many local markets the demand for hydroponically-grown cress far exceeds available supply. This is partially because cress leaves are not suitable for distribution in dried form, and thus can be only partially preserved. It is common for the consumer to acquire cress as seeds or (in Europe) from markets as a box of young live shoots.

Edible shoots are typically harvested in 1 – 2 weeks, when they are 5–13 cm (2 - 5 inches) tall.

Cress in cookery

Garden Cress is added to soups, sandwiches and salads for its tangy flavor. It is also eaten as sprouts
Sprouting
Sprouting is the practice of germinating seeds to be eaten either raw or cooked.They are a convenient way to have fresh vegetables for salads, or otherwise, in any season and can be germinated at home or produced industrially...

, and the fresh or dried seed pods can be used as a peppery seasoning (haloon). In England cut cress shoots are commonly used in sandwiches with boiled egg
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...

s, mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...

 and salt.

Other uses

Garden cress is known as 'Chandrashoor', and the seeds are known as 'Halloon' in India and is commonly used in the system of ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...

 to prevent postnatal complications.

Cress may be given to pet birds such as budgerigars for a healthy and fresh treat.

Lepidium sativum seeds are used medicinally for indigestion and constipation.

External links

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