Edible chrysanthemum

Glebionis coronaria, G. segetum

leaf · flower

Young, cut, aromatic leaves of an annual chrysanthemum, herbal and slightly bitter; in Japanese hot pots, mixed into rice, or as a side. They provide lutein.

Origin

East Asia

Season (United States)

October to March · grows in your region

Preparation

The young leaves are eaten raw in salads, or dipped for thirty seconds in a broth or hot pot: overcooked, they turn bitter. The tough stems are removed. It grows at ground level and catches the splashes of watering: washing it leaf by leaf, in plenty of water, beats a quick rinse of the whole bunch.

Molecules

Lutein and zeaxanthinIn small amounts, not counted Flavonols (quercetin)

Did you know?

It comes from the Mediterranean — it grows on the French coast and in Corsica — but it is in Asia that it is eaten: tonghao in China, ssukgat in Korea, shungiku, “spring chrysanthemum”, in Japan.