This is the wiki entry for glasswort or, as we would call it in the UK now, samphire. Not quite the same plant, though related, and used for the same things. There's also a reference to Venetian glassworkers coming to England and finding this plant to use. The Turkish salad at the end is almost exactly your recipe!
Hi Freya, thank you so much for sharing this link about samphire, I knew the two plants are related but the whole story behind them is utterly fascinating. Now I'm more and more curious about Venetians moving to England to export their glassmaking skills and technologies... I wonder if there were enough of them to create Venetian-speaking communities? Will have to investigate.
I was so surprised to see the Turkish salad, although I believe they cook the herb for longer than I do and use more lemon juice and oil (which doesn't seem like a bad idea). Have you ever cooked samphire? I heard it's super salty
Yep, I've cooked and eaten samphire - saltiness depends on where it's harvested from - brackish water leads to less saltiness. The texture is interesting - squeaky and sometimes a bit tough and sort of scratchy. I don't think there was ever enough Venetians in England to form more than a tiny community of their own language - we didn't even get a separate language area for long with teh Huguenots, and we had lots more of them.
So very fascinating, Sinù! I’ve never heard of this vegetable, but would love to try it if it were available here in Southern California. Sadly, I doubt it is. I’ll have to be satisfied with your poetic description of this elusive grassy green, which brings her alive almost as a mysterious woman shedding her grace and gifts in different arenas.
We visited the Venetian Jewish ghetto a few years ago and became entranced with the ancient architecture and history, so I will definitely check out your links. We also visited magical Murano, so it’s interesting to learn the role of this spring green in glass-making.
Thanks for another marvelous post! I always learn something I didn’t know.
Thank you Ruth, I'm so glad you read it and found it interesting. I don't know why but that's how I see this plant, like you said "a mysterious woman shedding her grace and gifts in different arenas", your description is spot on.
I want to know more about the ghetto and will probably go for a private tour later on during low season (too busy now). That little pdf I shared is a wonderful primer on the topic of Jewish food in Venice, highly recommend it, let me know what you think of it!
Ahah of course I know (I wanted to use feisty instead of rebellious at first, but I was afraid of a copyright infringement :D)! Thank you for reading and stopping by my friend.
Ok, first off can I just say that I love how you described the name of this herb?! My background is in linguistics and sometimes I latch onto a word just because I love how it sounds!
I’m like you, I think a simple preparation of food is sometimes best. I definitely wasn’t always like this; living in Spain is rubbing off on me! Your suggestion of pairing the salsola with olive oil, garlic, and a bit of lemon sounds delicious.
And thanks for sharing the links; I’m bookmarking that video for a rainy day!
Hi Kiki, thank you so much for all your kind words, you made my day. And yes, word nerd here, too ;) Has your approach to cooking changed since you moved to Spain? Mine certainly did when I moved into this apartment... different places, different souls, different kitchen vibes I guess.
Oh yeah definitely! I was a horribly picky eater as a child, and that impacted what I was willing to learn to do in the kitchen. Which, of course, was not much, and I spent a lot more time baking than cooking real meals.
Moving to Spain had a huge impact in the sense that I now have a much bigger variety (and better quality) of fresh food to choose from.
A couple of years after moving here I also found out that I have a milk protein allergy, so I can’t eat any dairy products except butter (which is basically all fat so there’s only trace protein). That naturally forced me to look more at vegan recipes, so I incorporate a lot of plant-based meals into my diet (even though I do eat meat). I like playing around with new recipes, but also one of my favorite meals is just a nice baked fish seasoned with salt, pepper, a little olive oil, and lemon. When the quality is there, you don’t need much else.
I so agree with you, I could bite into a good tomato like I do with an apple - naturally tasty food can't be beaten (and save you time in the kitchen).
I'm fascinated by your travels and experiences, I hope you'll tell us more about them in your newsletter!
This is the wiki entry for glasswort or, as we would call it in the UK now, samphire. Not quite the same plant, though related, and used for the same things. There's also a reference to Venetian glassworkers coming to England and finding this plant to use. The Turkish salad at the end is almost exactly your recipe!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasswort
Hi Freya, thank you so much for sharing this link about samphire, I knew the two plants are related but the whole story behind them is utterly fascinating. Now I'm more and more curious about Venetians moving to England to export their glassmaking skills and technologies... I wonder if there were enough of them to create Venetian-speaking communities? Will have to investigate.
I was so surprised to see the Turkish salad, although I believe they cook the herb for longer than I do and use more lemon juice and oil (which doesn't seem like a bad idea). Have you ever cooked samphire? I heard it's super salty
Yep, I've cooked and eaten samphire - saltiness depends on where it's harvested from - brackish water leads to less saltiness. The texture is interesting - squeaky and sometimes a bit tough and sort of scratchy. I don't think there was ever enough Venetians in England to form more than a tiny community of their own language - we didn't even get a separate language area for long with teh Huguenots, and we had lots more of them.
Samphire sounds more complex than salsola, I've been wanting to try it since last year when a lady from France mentioned it.
(Venetians are better than the Huguenots ;) )
Absolutely!
Thanks for this lively discussion, which I enjoyed so much. We have samphire in Australia, but I have never eaten it.
This was fun indeed. Are you on Twitter, Marg? Freya is a well of knowledge and usually hangs out there. I spend time tweeting, too. Come join us :)
Wow! It’s almost like seaweed, apparently! Great article, Sinu!
“A good looking herb” love it! 💚
Isn't she :D
She is! 😆
Another fascinating post! Thanks so much.
Thank you for reading it Marg!
So very fascinating, Sinù! I’ve never heard of this vegetable, but would love to try it if it were available here in Southern California. Sadly, I doubt it is. I’ll have to be satisfied with your poetic description of this elusive grassy green, which brings her alive almost as a mysterious woman shedding her grace and gifts in different arenas.
We visited the Venetian Jewish ghetto a few years ago and became entranced with the ancient architecture and history, so I will definitely check out your links. We also visited magical Murano, so it’s interesting to learn the role of this spring green in glass-making.
Thanks for another marvelous post! I always learn something I didn’t know.
Thank you Ruth, I'm so glad you read it and found it interesting. I don't know why but that's how I see this plant, like you said "a mysterious woman shedding her grace and gifts in different arenas", your description is spot on.
I want to know more about the ghetto and will probably go for a private tour later on during low season (too busy now). That little pdf I shared is a wonderful primer on the topic of Jewish food in Venice, highly recommend it, let me know what you think of it!
You know how I love my greens! What a wonderful read. "Rebellious spinach"...so good.
Ahah of course I know (I wanted to use feisty instead of rebellious at first, but I was afraid of a copyright infringement :D)! Thank you for reading and stopping by my friend.
😂
Ok, first off can I just say that I love how you described the name of this herb?! My background is in linguistics and sometimes I latch onto a word just because I love how it sounds!
I’m like you, I think a simple preparation of food is sometimes best. I definitely wasn’t always like this; living in Spain is rubbing off on me! Your suggestion of pairing the salsola with olive oil, garlic, and a bit of lemon sounds delicious.
And thanks for sharing the links; I’m bookmarking that video for a rainy day!
Hi, Kiki!
I miss her writing and Spain stories!
Me too!
Hi Kiki, thank you so much for all your kind words, you made my day. And yes, word nerd here, too ;) Has your approach to cooking changed since you moved to Spain? Mine certainly did when I moved into this apartment... different places, different souls, different kitchen vibes I guess.
Oh yeah definitely! I was a horribly picky eater as a child, and that impacted what I was willing to learn to do in the kitchen. Which, of course, was not much, and I spent a lot more time baking than cooking real meals.
Moving to Spain had a huge impact in the sense that I now have a much bigger variety (and better quality) of fresh food to choose from.
A couple of years after moving here I also found out that I have a milk protein allergy, so I can’t eat any dairy products except butter (which is basically all fat so there’s only trace protein). That naturally forced me to look more at vegan recipes, so I incorporate a lot of plant-based meals into my diet (even though I do eat meat). I like playing around with new recipes, but also one of my favorite meals is just a nice baked fish seasoned with salt, pepper, a little olive oil, and lemon. When the quality is there, you don’t need much else.
I so agree with you, I could bite into a good tomato like I do with an apple - naturally tasty food can't be beaten (and save you time in the kitchen).
I'm fascinated by your travels and experiences, I hope you'll tell us more about them in your newsletter!
Thanks, Sinù! I love reading about your life and adventures in Italy, too, and I’m excited to keep following along!