Ice plant

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

leaf

Leaves covered in beads of salty water that burst under the teeth, eaten raw in salads.

Origin

South Africa, grown in Japan and Europe

Season (United States)

May to September

Preparation

The leaves and tender stems are rinsed and eaten raw, in salads, for their salty beads; they can also be stir-fried for a minute, but then lose their crunch. 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?

The beads are cells swollen with salty water: the plant stores the soil's salt in them.