SAMPHIRE
Samphire -- also known as Rock Samphire, and pronounced 'sam-fur' -- is a seaweed gathered from the North Sea coast and sometimes known as 'poor man's asparagus'. As you'll read below, it's also known as 'Salicornia'.
We already have a simple samphire recipe available on the website, but our fascination with this plant was rekindled in August 2005, when we received an e-mail from one-time Nordelph resident Ronald Willson, now living in St. Malo. Under the heading 'salicornia', he wrote:
My father used to bring home bundles of this stuff, and my mother would boil it, then we would all help to unthread the green fleshy/pulpy vegetable matter (looking a little like runner bean but more soft, and much tastier!).
What was left was a large cream tree-like skeleton structure, of great strength, and slippery and very flexible, perfect in fact to withstand a rough and windy marshy area where this kind of plant grew, and suport the heavy green vegetable matter covering it.
Then we sat down to eat it, with a little vinegar and I forget what else! (butter possibly?) We can buy it in Brittany in jars in the supermarket.
Now for the questions!!!1. Is there a local Fen name for this plant, as I do not seem to remember this name my father used for this plant (although the word did begin with 's' I remember)
2. Does anyone either harvest it or eat it locally?
3. What locations is it found in? (sometimes people will not divulge their secret locations where they reap their favourite vegetable!!)
I will continue searching the Web for any further information and let you know what I find...thanks!Ronald.
PS I found the answer to question (1) I think? ...my father called it 'sampher' (actually 'samphire')
PPS And it has its very own website: http://www.salicornia.com/
and now for a recipe...
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