Tag: Wild Edible Plant

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Recipes

Eryngo “Kors Anneh” salad

Kors Anneh
Dardar on the left and Qors Aanneh on the right

Eryngium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae containing about 250 species and with a worldwide distribution. While some species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens, others like Eryngium creticum or eryngo in English, panicaut de crete in French and “Kors Anneh” in Arabic are collected in the wild and used for their medicinal and culinary benefits.

“Kors Anneh” grows around the Mediterranean region including Lebanon, Syria and Palestine where is it knows as the “thorn of Abraham”. This thorny plant grows on different altitudes in dry soils. During spring, the new soft leaves are prepared in salads. “Kors Anneh” leaves are rich in antioxidants and have been used to treat a number of diseases.

Ingredients:

“Kors Anneh” leaves

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, mashed

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Salt

Vinegar (optional)

Preparation steps:

  1. Wash the “Kors Anneh” leaves thoroughly to clean them and remove plant debris that might be stuck between them
  2. Finely chop the leaves and put them in a salad bowl
  3. Add the other ingredients and mix well
  4. Enjoy with moujaddara on the side
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Recipes

Seasoned “Dardar”

Dardar
Seasoned dardar

Dardar in Arabic and Eastern star thistle in English (Centaurea hyalolepis) is a wild edible plant commonly collected and cooked in rural Lebanon and Syria. The leaves which look like chicory leaves, are never eaten fresh but always cooked. They are rich in vitamins, iron and magnesium. In Syria, “marshousha” is a traditional dish composed of the plant’s leaves cooked with bulgur, onions, olive oil and paprika. The seasoned dardar leaves are called “assoura“; they are usually prepared with lots of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.

Ingredients:

“Dardar” leaves, washed and cleaned

2 garlic cloves, mashed

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Salt

Preparation steps:

  1. Cook the dardar  leaves in hot water until soft
  2. Strain then squeeze out the remaining water with your hands
  3. Finely chop the leaves and put them in a salad bowl
  4. Add the other ingredients and mix well
  5. Enjoy with a loaf of Lebanese bread
Centaurea hyalolepis in the West Bekaa
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Recipes

Mallow leaves with chickpeas – Khebbeyze w hommous

Mallow with chickpeas
“Khebbeyze bi hommous”

Mallow or malva (khebbeyze) is a wild edible plant known around the Mediterranean for its medicinal and culinary. It grows under a variety of climate and soils conditions. The edible leaves of Malva sylvestris, rich in minerals and vitamins A and C are harvested in spring. Stems are also used in the kitchen. Cooked green leaves create a mucus very similar to okra’s, and the dried leaves are used for tea making.

Total Servings: 5

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 kg of mallow leaves

1 cup of chickpeas, soaked overnight

¼ cup of vegetable oil, or olive oil

½ kg onion, chopped in julienne

½ cup of lemon juice

1 tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

Water

Mallow leaves ©edibleweeds.com.au

Preparation method:

  1. Wash the mallow leaves and chop them finely
  2. Drain the chickpeas, and with a pestle, gently squash them to de-hull them (remove the skin) and separate the two cotyledons
  3. Boil the chickpeas in water until half-cooked. Drain excess water
  4. In a saucepan, fry the onions with the oil until gold then add the chickpeas and stir in the mallow leaves
  5. Add ¼ of a cup of water and let simmer on medium fire while stirring from time to time
  6. Season with the salt, pepper and lemon juice
  7. Remove from fire once the mallow leaves have completely wilted
  8. Serve cold with pita bread and an extra dash of lemon juice
Categories
Recipes

Akkoub stew with meat

Akkoub stew cooked on the stove
Akkoub stew cooked on the stove
Akkoub stew cooked on the stove

Akkoub (Akub) or Gundelia is a wild plant that belongs to the sunflower genus and found in the plain and mountainous of semi-arid regions for only few weeks every year. Akkoub is collected in the wild in early spring (February and March) when snow has metled. The thorny leaves are removed manually with a knife to uncover the stem and roots which are used for cooking. Akkoub is found in parts of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Palestine. In Lebanon, it is commonly collected in the southern part of Mount Lebanon: the mountains of Shouf and Dahr el-Baydar where is it used to prepare stews, omelets, salads, kebbeh and even pickles.

Akkoub is reported to have several health benefits such as anti-inflammatory and laxative properties.

Total servings: 5

Ingredients:

1 kg of akkoub steams, washed, rinsed and finely chopped

500 g of lamb meat

1 cup of vegetable oil

The juice of 1 lemon

3 medium onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp. of salt

Black pepper and cinnamon according to taste

Preparation Steps:

  1. In a large pan, stir-fry the onions and meat with 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil for about 5 min.
  2. Add 3 cups of water to the meat and cover them until they start boiling
  3. Once they start boiling, cook on a medium fire for 30 min.
  4. In another pan, stir-fry the akkoub until they wilt and become transparent
  5. Add the lemon juice, spices and salt to the akkoub and cook for 15 min; leave them covered on a medium heat and do not stir
  6. After 15 mns., add the meat and onions to the akkoub
  7. Serve hot with cooked rice on the side
Green Akkoub bought from the market. Photo ©TasteofBeirut
Green Akkoub bought from the market. Photo ©TasteofBeirut
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Food Tourism Activities

Wild edible plants collection

A variety of WEP meals at May's table d'hote in Mresti
Rima enjoying WEP collection on darb el karam
Rima enjoying WEP collection on darb el karam

Come spring time, the fields and hills of Higher Shouf and the West Bekaa villages burst with  green abundance after months of being submerged in snow.

Nabila Azzam WEP collection
Nabila, from Ein Zebde, will teach you everything about WEP

This is the time to experience  how generous Mother Earth is, and to hit the fields collecting wild edible plants and learn all about their health and medicinal benefits from the traditional knowledge of women and shepherds living in those villages.

Akkoub cooked on the stove
Akkoub cooked on the stove

In Ein Zebde, West Bekaa, and in Mresti Al Shouf, Nabila Azzam, May Kanaan and Bassima Zeidan, hosts on darb el karam – food trail, will take you on trips around the villages to collect these plants and will host you at their tables d’hôte to taste local specialties made of Akkoub, Dardar, Wild Chicory, Meshe and others.

Dardar seasoned with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and lots of garlic!
Dardar seasoned with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and lots of garlic!
Meshe decorated with turnip pickles
Meshe decorated with turnip pickles