Garlic mustard is a common wild herb in Britain and Ireland. Its leaves exude a garlicky smell when bruised or chopped, although the plant is unrelated to garlic.
Scientific name
Alliaria petiolata
Family
Brassicaceae
Botanical description
Garlic mustard has straight, stems (hairy at the base) with large green and toothy leaves, sometimes described as heart-shaped. The flowers are small and white with cross-shaped petals.
Photo identification
Status
Biennial. Native.
Habitat and distribution
Deciduous woodland, cultivated land, hedgerows, wasteland.
Entomology
Parts used for food
Leaf, stems, flowers, seeds, root.
Harvest time
March, April, July, August, September.
Food uses
The release of a garlic smell and taste when the leaves are crushed led to the use of garlic mustard as an alternative to true garlic. Thus it can be said to have the same uses as garlic in food preparation and cooking.
The wild herb also makes an excellent savoury salad green, sauce and potherb. Seeds used as a pepper substitute. The root has wasabi notes, and the flavour ranges from ‘very hot’ to ‘sweet with mild heat’ depending on location and region.
Nutritional profile
As a member of the mustard family, which includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, mustard and watercress, garlic mustard could be among those vegetables which if eaten as part of a healthy, balanced diet might help to prevent cancer.
It shares cancer-preventing chemicals isothiocyanates, from the mustard family, and allyl sulfides, from the garlic family.
Recipes
- Garlic mustard and blue cheese pasta
- Garlic mustard and cow parsley sauce
- Garlic mustard and three cornered leek vichysoisse
Herbal medicine uses
Garlic mustard has been used as an antiseptic herb for treating leg ulcers, bruises and sores, coughs and colds, clearing a stuffy head, to encourage sweating and even as a cure for colic and kidney stones.
In Somerset, England, the fresh green leaves were rubbed on feet to relieve the cramp.
Other uses
A yellow dye might also be obtained from the whole plant.
Safety note
Garlic mustard is apparently “palatable to livestock”, which suggests another means to manage its spread on the borders of fields and woodlands. An unfortunate side effect of this, however, is that it might lend a disagreeable flavour to cows’ milk and an unpleasant taste to poultry meat.
Links
- Edible and medicinal wild plants of Britain and Ireland
- Forage in spring
- Forage in summer
- Forage in autumn
- Travels with plants
References
Duke, J. A. (1992) Handbook of edible weeds. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Gerard, J. (1994) Gerard’s herbal: the history of plants. Nachdruck. Marcus Woodward (ed.). London: Senate, an imprint of Studio Editions Ltd.
Hatfield, G. (2008) Hatfield’s herbal: the secret history of British plants. London: Penguin.
Mac Coitir, N. & Langrishe, G. (2015) Ireland’s wild plants: myths, legends and folklore.
Quattrocchi, U. (2012) CRC world dictionary of medicinal and poisonous plants: common names, scientific names, eponyms, synonyms, and etymology (5 Volume Set). Boca Raton: CRC press.