Use this peppery, slightly spicy herb to enhance salads, sandwiches, risottos, and more. You can use your watercress crop to add a nice peppery note to salads and sandwiches, but watercress can also be used in soups such as watercress and mint soup and winter pea and watercress soup. We can all agree that watercress makes for a lovely garnish, but it would be tragic to limit this plant’s use to something so trivial. It may also help in treating eczema, acne, and generally problematic skin. He prepared a lavish banquet and served watercress after the fourth course, writing on the menu ‘Watercress, served alone to refresh the mouth’. Medicinal use of Watercress: Watercress is very rich in vitamins and minerals, and has long been valued as a food and medicinal plant. The 4th Earl of Sandwich John Montagu is believed to have invented the snack, with the first ever creation containing cold roast beef, horseradish and watercress between two slices of bread. Watercress contains calcium, magnesium and potassium, which help release sodium from the body and reduce high blood pressure levels. Watercress is easily grown when given the correct conditions of slowly flowing clean water, preferably coming from chalky or limestone soils[264]. Since early times, the herb has had many uses. Watercress gazpacho with manchego croutes. Apart from the issue of food miles, eating foods grown on our doorstep is much better for us, as they’re more in tune with nature and are tastier and fresher. watercress can beat both of these ingredients for health boosting properties, watercress was a key ingredient in the first ever sandwich, Watercress mash with spring onion and cheese, Maddie’s Table Watercress & Rosemary Mash, Hanna Sillitoe's Minty Pea & Watercress Soup. As you can see, one cup (34 grams) of watercress provides over 100% of the RDI for vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin necessary for blood clotting and healthy bones (4). It is one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans. Szechuan pork, watercress & broccoli stir fry. Landscape Uses:Container. Considered a cleansing herb, its high content of vitamin C makes it a remedy that is particularly valuable for chronic illnesses. Store it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to four days. For more recipe inspiration check out www.watercress.co.uk/recipes where you can search our full index or browse by category. Providing a quick, delicious and nutritious meal, any omelette can be enhanced by the addition of a handful of fresh watercress. Although its incredible health benefits are at their most potent when it is consumed raw, watercress can also be added into a range of hot dishes to add a delicious flavour as well as fantastic colour and texture. Watercress is a popular food among common masses. Cress is one of the very low-calorie green leafy vegetables (only 11 calories per 100 g raw leaves) and contains negligible amounts of fats. Treating diabetes. Like many other popular herbs, watercress is typically used for culinary purposes. Tastessence comes to your rescue and gives some substitutes which you can use in place of watercress. History of Watercress as a Healing Food. Watercress suggested uses include bronchitis, cough, appetite stimulant, and arthritis.. Watercress is only proven effective for bronchitis and cough. Used externally, watercress is one of the best existing vulneraries. It may seem obvious but watercress is the perfect base for any salad, adding crunch, a peppery flavour, and a vibrant dark green colour. For the same reasons, these greens often recommended in the cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs for their overall antioxidant, low-calorific and low-fat properties. This ability is conferred mainly by the existence of two components that have antiseptic and healing or regenerative properties for skin: ascorbic acid or vitamin C and zinc. These create higher amounts of elasticity in the blood vessels and therefore reduce blood pressure. Watercress is rich in isothiocyanates that may help prevent cancer and boost immunity. Different methods can be used depending on the type of dish you are preparing, so check out these different variations and let us know which is your favourite! Watercress contains iodine and high levels of vitamin K so should be included in your diet although it must be cooked when found in the wild. These create higher amounts of elasticity in the blood vessels and therefore reduce blood pressure. Young leaves contain less mustard oil and so have a milder flavour. Regulate Thyroid; Watercress also contained a lot of iodine, which is very beneficial to regulate the amount of thyroid hormone. Watercress is incredibly healthful and can be consumed or applied topically. It helps lower blood pressure - Watercress contains high levels of nitrates. My favourite way of enjoying watercress is in a sandwich made with good quality bread generously spread with butter and packed with plenty of crisp, fresh watercress. Watercress makes for a delicious base for salad recipes, like this Watercress, Radicchio, and Radish Salad pictured here. Hippocrates the ‘father of medicine’ opened what was probably the world’s first hospital near to wild watercress growing in a stream, so that he could use the watercress to treat his patients. Watercress is heavy in antioxidants, a key ingredient in the prevention of cancer. I use the hot peppery leaves to add a kick to salads; their pungent flavour also makes flavoursome soups, sauces and flavoured butters and goes particularly well with eggs. Although [3] watercress was demoted and used as a mere type of decoration, recent health trends and studies have revealed the plethora of health benefits the leafy green possess. The watercress nutrition profile is low in calories yet high in fiber and vitamins A, K and C. It’s been linked to a number of health benefits and could potentially help protect against certain types of cancer, reduce blood pressure, decrease inflammation and promote bone health. Watercress and many of its relatives, such as garden cress, mustard, radish, and wasabi, are noteworthy for their piquant flavors. Watercress is a good source of lutein and beta-carotene, two important components in preventing UV-damage and maintaining skin health, which is key to an anti-ageing regime. Watercress pesto makes a delicious alternative to the traditional basil, adding a more subtle peppery flavour that combines excellently a variety of dishes while retaining the health benefits that come from consuming raw watercress. It is a dark, leafy green grown in natural spring water. Now watercress gets to enjoy its time in the limelight as an excellent, nutrient-packed, easy-to-cultivate superfood. It can even help with weight loss, as evidenced by Liz Hurley’s watercress soup diet. Watercress is also a good source of calcium, which further supports bone development and strength. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. In China, the soup of watercress to cure canker sores on lips or tongue, mouth blisters, bad teeth, swollen gums and foul breath. It’s peppery taste from the glucosinolates make it a popular addition to salad greens. Medicinal Uses . Watercress is in season from April to September and although it’s usually relegated to a measly garnish on the plate, I look upon it as a delicious and health-giving vegetable in its own right. Watercress and garlic dip with king prawns. Other nutrients in this veggie can help prevent osteoporosis and aid diabetes treatment. The regular consumption of watercress can help improve your bone health, fight infections, improve your skin and hair, improve your heart health among various others. Watercress’ Other Health Benefits. Western medicine can be traced back to the Hippocrates, a Greek physician who lived in the 4th century BC. Also, he says, vitamin K is a key nutrient in bone density and watercress is a vitamin K powerhouse. I like to serve watercress with sea trout or salmon, where its refreshing flavour is the perfect complement to the rich tasting fish. Uses for Watercress. Unfortunately, it is not easily available everywhere. Along with vitamin A, vitamin C, protects the eye, helps maintain the skin and promotes healing of wounds, burns, the restoration of the bones or tendons, etc. Carol Wilson celebrates the unique taste of this versatile seasonal vegetable. It helps lower blood pressure - Watercress contains high levels of nitrates. The nitrates in the vegetable promote heart health and may also enhance your physical performance. Back to hedgerow guide. Roughly chop and add to buttery mash for a twist on a classic, or why not stir through a pasta sauce? The perfect egg and watercress sandwiches. It improves eye health - Compounds lutein and zeaxanthin, found in watercress, help block blue light from reaching the retina. Watercress is a plant. It slows skin aging - A compound found in watercress, ITC, can prevent the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin, and can even promote collagen growth, leading to younger, healthier and more elastic skin. In Germany watercress is eaten with meats, sausages and smoked fish. Autumn Courses. Watercress health benefits includes preventing breast cancer, offers a rich supply of vitamin C necessary for brain tissue repairs, boosting immunity, lowering blood pressure, improving thyroid gland function and preventing iron deficiency. Watercress isn't just for salads. Watercress contains the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid. A simple watercress dip makes a fantastic accompaniment to raw vegetables, bread, or any type of antipasti or mezze. When it comes to dips and dressing, use watercress the same way you would your favorite fresh herb. The hot peppery taste comes from the mustard oil in the plant and its strong flavour stimulates the taste buds and digestion. Watercress was so popular in the past that every spring it was sold tied it into bunches in Covent Garden by London street sellers. Mayonnaise, olive oil, or even cottage cheese can be used as the dip’s base, with various recipes incorporating different ingredients that are simply blended together. In this article I will reveal to you the different medicinal applications of watercress. Mediterranean chicken skewers with watercress pesto. Beer 52 exclusive offer: Get a free case of craft beer worth £24. It is considered as a superfood as it has a high amount of nutrients with low calories. Curiously the peppery taste of watercress has a cooling effect, a paradox that was noted by the celebrated 14th century French chef Taillevent, who was also the first person to include it on a menu. Here we’ve picked our favourite recipes that use watercress pesto for you to try at home. Happy cooking! Watercress omelette with watercress and Stilton. A small amount adds a large punch of flavor, making it a great alternative to salt. Watercress is known for its peppery taste and numerous health benefits. Studies show that 100g of watercress provides a quarter of the recommended daily amount of calcium which is needed to reach maximum bone density while growing. I’m all for using seasonal British foods. Watercress also contain lots of vitamin C and smaller amounts of vitamin E, which like vitamin A, have antioxidant properties. Traditionally, watercress has long been used to treat a number of ailments, with claims that it can improve blood circulation (Matsushima et al., 2006) for the treatment of renal colic, liver diseases (Guarrera et al., 2005) as a mild stimulate, a diuretic, an expectorant and a digestive aid. Watercress is a rapidly growing, perennial plant native to Europe and Asia. Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes Foraging Courses. The distinctive pepperiness of watercress is perfectly offset by sweet fruit flavours so why not try adding it to your next smoothie? Perfect with grilled fish and meat, eggs, or grilled vegetables, this versatile sauce can be served alongside almost any meal. In fact, watercress was a key ingredient in the first ever sandwich! The juice or tea of Watercress is used to eliminate collected fluids in the body tissue such as congestion and gout. Oxidative damage, reducing the risk of age-related eye health degeneration spicy to... 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