Oyster plant (oysterleaf)
Mertensia maritima
leaf
Bluish, fleshy leaves that really do taste of oyster, raw with fish or as a garnish.
- Origin
- North Atlantic coasts
- Where to find it
- On the shingle beaches of Scotland, Iceland and Norway; now rare in the wild, it is grown in greenhouses for restaurants, in Brittany and the Netherlands.
- Season (United States)
- May to September
- Preparation
- The leaves are rinsed and eaten raw, whole, at the last moment: cooking takes away their flavor.
- Did you know?
- Top chefs made it famous: an oyster taste on a plant-based plate.