Bristly oxtongue
Helminthotheca echioides
leaf
Rosettes of rough leaves covered in small bumps, boiled then sautéed with garlic in Italy, bitter like chicory.
- Origin
- Mediterranean
- Where to find it
- On waste ground, banks and fields; Italians call it “aspraggine” and pick it in early spring with the other bitter herbs.
- Season (United States)
- February to May
- Preparation
- The young rosettes are picked before the flowering stem, and washed in several changes of water.
- Did you know?
- Its leaves covered in pustules earn it the English name “bristly oxtongue”.