Bush vetch

Vicia sepium

vegetable

Tender young shoots tasting of peas, cooked like spinach; the small seeds are cooked like lentils.

Origin

Europe and Asia

Where to find it

In hedges, woodland edges and cool meadows; you recognize it by its dull mauve flowers and the tendrils at the end of its leaves.

Season (United States)

April to June

Preparation

The seeds only cooked and in small amounts: vetch seeds, raw or in excess, contain compounds that are toxic to the nerves.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

Its mauve flowers mainly attract bumblebees, the only ones strong enough to open them.