French sorrel

Rumex scutatus

leaf

Small shield-shaped leaves, tangy with a lemon taste, raw in salads or melted into a sauce with fish.

Origin

Mountains of Europe and western Asia

Where to find it

On scree and old walls in the mountains, in the Alps, the Pyrenees and the Massif Central; herb growers cultivate it, and chefs buy it by the tray.

Season (United States)

April to October

Preparation

The leaves are rinsed and the stalks removed; raw, a handful goes into a salad, and in a sauce they melt down in a minute or two. Its oxalates leach into water: boiling it and throwing the water out takes a good share with it.

Molecules

Beta-carotene (vitamin A) · Lutein and zeaxanthin · Vegetable nitrates · ChlorophyllWhat slows things down Oxalates

Did you know?

Chefs call it “French sorrel”; it is less sour than common sorrel.