COMMON SORREL
Perennial plant with fragile and branched stems, where small glaucous green leaves are arranged. The leaves are rounded with a horn-shaped base. Its first flowers appear in spring.
Common sorrel is a plant native to Europe that in its natural habitat can be found in moist areas, both in forests and near water.
Common sorrel has a fresh and acidic taste, similar to lemon, and its texture is firm, making it perfectly edible raw. We can add it to any type of salad, sauces, or to finish and give an acidic touch to any kind of preparation, both cold and hot.
BEACH SORREL
Plant with usually prostrate stems, its delicate leaves are narrow and lance-shaped with a wedge-shaped base, light green in color.
Beach sorrel is a plant that in its natural habitat can be found in coastal pastures, especially sandy ones.
Its fresh and acidic taste, and its very soft texture, make it perfectly edible raw. We can add it to any type of salad, toasts, sauces, or to finish and give an acidic touch to any kind of preparation, both cold and hot.
SEA BEET
Plant with an underground rhizome from which rosettes of large, dark green triangular leaves with narrow stalks emerge in spring.
Sea beet is a plant that in its natural habitat can be found on coastal cliffs, sandy areas, and saline inland sites.
Its taste is refreshing, and due to its firm and fibrous texture, it needs to be blanched to soften it. Once blanched, it can accompany any soup, stir-fries, scrambled eggs, sautés...
COASTAL SHALLOT
Small bulbous plant, similar to an onion. The bulb of the coastal shallot is barely a centimeter in diameter, fusiform and rounded. Three narrow, curved leaves emerge from this bulb.
The coastal shallot is a plant that in its natural habitat can be found in rocky areas, dry shrubs, and dunes on the coasts and mountains of southern Europe.
It has a strong garlic flavor and a texture similar to onion. We can include it in any raw preparation, but a slight confit or blanching softens its flavor and it can be used to accompany meats, fish, or vegetables.
MARSH SPINACH
Plant with upright stems on which alternate lance-shaped and somewhat fleshy leaves are arranged. Its bright blue star-shaped flowers are very striking.
Marsh spinach is a plant that in its natural habitat can be found in coastal marshes and cliffs that receive sea spray.
It has a slightly bitter taste, so although it can be eaten raw, it is advisable to blanch it to soften its bitterness. It can be a good complement to salads or preparations with fatty meats.
GLACIAL ICE PLANT OR DEW HERB
Annual plant of emerald green color, sometimes with reddish tones, it is very fleshy and its surface is completely covered with crystalline papillae that look like dew drops. The leaves are oval and fleshy, and its white flowers have countless narrow petals.
The glacial ice plant is a plant that in its natural habitat can be found in rocky and sandy coastal areas. Although it is native to South Africa, we can find it on Mediterranean coasts.
It has a very refreshing, slightly citrus taste and a crunchy, fleshy texture. We can add its sprouts and small leaves to salads, stews to provide a crunchy and refreshing note. A juice is extracted from its larger leaves for sauces, dressings... And its flower is usually consumed raw.
SEA FENNEL
Sea fennel is a perennial herb of grayish-green color. Its leaves are divided into narrow, elongated lobes.
In its natural environment, it is a plant that can be found in cracks and ledges of cliffs, on rocks, and sometimes on the very sand of the beach.
It has a flavor that is a mix between fennel, celery, and carrot, and a fleshy texture. It has long been used pickled along the Mediterranean coasts, to complete salads
INULA
Inula is a small shrub similar to rosemary, which is why it is also known as "sea rosemary."
In its natural habitat, it can be found in marshes, at the base of cliffs, or in inland salt flats.
It has a strong anise-like flavor, so it is best cooked—either by confiting, blanching, or pickling.
SEA RUSH
As its name suggests, it is a rush that resembles chives. Its leaves are an intense green, emerging from a fleshy white base.
In its natural habitat, it forms meadows along the edges of marshland reeds and brackish lagoons.
It has a flavor very similar to cilantro, making it ideal for fresh use in salads, tartares, or as a seasoning for stews.
SEA PLANTAIN
Sea plantain is an herb whose leaves form a basal rosette. They are elongated, linear, flat, and fleshy.
In its natural habitat, this plant is found in coastal saline environments, which can be more or less humid.
It can be consumed raw as a leafy vegetable or lightly cooked.
MARSH CHAMOMILE
Marsh chamomile is a small plant with numerous deeply lobed, dark green leaves. Its flower resembles that of common chamomile.
In its natural habitat, it grows in humid and slightly saline soils of coastal marshes and inland basins.
An infusion made from its flowers and leaves serves as a great base for broths, soups, and fish dishes.
OYSTER LEAF (MERTENSIA)
Mertensia is a plant with oval leaves in a beautiful ashy green color. Its lilac flowers are quite striking.
In its natural habitat, it is found in gravelly areas of the upper coastal region.
It has a delicious oyster-like flavor that lingers in the mouth, with a very fleshy and delicate texture. It should be eaten raw, either in salads or as an accompaniment to seafood and fish.
SEA RADISH
Sea radish is a plant belonging to the cabbage family. Its green leaves are fleshy and lanceolate on the upper part, while the lower leaves are lobed.
In its natural habitat, it is found in nutrient-rich maritime sands and subsaline ruderal environments of European and North African coasts.
It has a flavor similar to mustard or wasabi and a very fleshy texture. It pairs well with roasts and fish.
SALICORNIA (SEA ASPARAGUS)
Salicornia is a plant resembling asparagus—small, upright, highly branched, and with cylindrical, jointed stems in short segments.
In its natural habitat, it grows seasonally and in clusters in flooded clearings of coastal salt flats and inland saline areas.
It has a notably salty taste and a crunchy, sometimes slightly fibrous texture. It can be eaten raw or sautéed as a side dish, in scrambled eggs, or in omelets.
SUAEDA
Suaeda is an annual plant with a delicate texture and a glaucous green color. Its stem is fragile and branched, with small, numerous, elongated, and narrow leaves.
In its natural habitat, it grows in the low, muddy areas of coastal marshes.
It has a mildly salty flavor and a crunchy texture. It can be eaten raw or sautéed as a side dish, in scrambled eggs, or in omelets.
SEA PURSLANE
Sea purslane is a small, highly branched shrub with small, oval, and lanceolate leaves of a grayish-green color.
In its natural habitat, it grows along the edges of marsh channels and in saline and waterlogged coastal areas.
It has a mild flavor and a fleshy texture. It can be eaten raw in salads or used as a side dish for fish and meats.