Sorrel ( Rumex acetosa), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ("dock" being a common name for the genus Rumex).[
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Sorrel is native to Eurasia and a common plant in grassland habitats. It is often cultivated as a leaf vegetable or herb.
Description
Sorrel is a slender herbaceous perennial plant about high,[
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Subspecies
Several subspecies have been named.[ Not all are cultivated.
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Rumex acetosa subsp. acetosa
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Rumex acetosa subsp. ambiguus
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Rumex acetosa subsp. arifolius
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Rumex acetosa subsp. hibernicus
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Rumex acetosa subsp. hirtulus
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Rumex acetosa subsp. vinealis
Distribution and habitat
Rumex acetosa occurs in grassland habitats throughout Europe from the northern Mediterranean coast to the north of Scandinavia and in parts of Central Asia. It occurs as an introduced species in parts of New Zealand, Australia, and North America.[
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Ecology
The leaves are eaten by the of several species of Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) including the blood-vein moth, and by non-specialized snails and slugs.
Uses
Common sorrel has been cultivated for centuries. The leaves are edible when young but toughen with age; they may be puréed in and or added to salad.[ The young shoots are edible as well, these and the leaves both being high in vitamin C and having a lemony flavor.]
In India, the leaves are used in soups or Curry made with yellow Lentil and peanuts. In Afghanistan, the leaves are coated in a wet batter and Deep frying, then served as an appetizer or if in season during Ramadan, for Iftar. In Armenia, the leaves are collected in spring, woven into braids, and dried for use during winter. The most common preparation is aveluk soup, where the leaves are rehydrated and rinsed to reduce bitterness, then stewed with onions, potatoes, walnuts, garlic and bulgur wheat or lentils, and sometimes Sour plum.
Throughout eastern Europe, wild or garden sorrel is used to make sour soups, stewed with vegetables or herbs, meat or eggs. In rural Greece, it is used with spinach, , and chard in spanakopita.
" Escalope de saumon à l'oseille" (salmon escalope in sorrel sauce), invented in 1962 by the Troisgros brothers, is an emblematic dish of French nouvelle cuisine.
In the Caribbean, the term "sorrel" refers to a type of sweet hibiscus tea commonly made from the African roselle flower,[ Sorrel Drink, A Caribbean Favorite During The Christmas Season] unrelated to the Eurasian sorrel herb.[ A hibiscus drink, by any of its names, is sweet]
See also
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