Garden sorrel
소렐
ⓒ
Photo: AnRo0002 · CC0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)
It looks like spinach, but one bite is surprisingly sour, like lemon. In France, a cream sauce made with these leaves served with salmon is a classic dish.
Please read before eating. This herb needs some care. See cautions
Flavor and aroma
- It's sour and fresh, like lemon.
- Mixed with rich ingredients such as cream, sour cream, yogurt or cheese, the sourness softens.
Fun facts
- The name comes from an old French word meaning "sour."
- The sour taste comes from the same compound as rhubarb (oxalic acid).
- Eastern European and Jewish homes have a sorrel soup called schav.
- Its name is similar to wood sorrel (the creeping wood sorrel group), but they're completely different plants.
In the kitchen
Raw
- Add young or torn leaves to salads for a lemony freshness. Put it in sandwiches too.
Cooking
- It goes well with fish such as salmon and mackerel and with egg dishes. Add it to creamy pasta too.
Sauces
- Make a French sorrel sauce with chopped sorrel, cream and butter. Salmon is the classic pairing, and it also suits white fish, chicken and egg dishes.
Soups
- Sauté it in butter until wilted, then blend with stock for sorrel soup. Add it to potato or rice soups too.
Goes well with
SalmonMackerelWhite fishEggsCreamButterPotato
Tips
- Cooking turns the green into a dull olive color. Large leaves are better cooked than raw.
Season
We're still checking the season. We'll add it once we find a source.
Details
- Korean name
- 소렐
- English names
- garden sorrel, common sorrel
- Scientific name
- Rumex acetosa
- Family
- Polygonaceae
- Genus
- Rumex
Cautions
It contains oxalic acid, so don't eat very large amounts. Take particular care if you have joint, kidney or stomach problems. Light cooking reduces the oxalic acid, and young leaves contain less than older ones.
Show sources for this page
References for this herb
- Specialty Produce
- Herb Society of America 블로그
- Hunter Angler Gardener Cook(Hank Shaw)
- Gardenista
Name and classification
Photo
AnRo0002 · CC0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)