Rumex acetosa

sorrel

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Rumex acetosa L. (= R. rugosus Campd.) (Polygonaceae); tuinsuring (Afrikaans); zurkel (Flemish); oseille (French); Sauerampfer (German); acetosa (Italian); azeda (Portuguese); acedera (Spanish)

DESCRIPTION The leaves of the common garden sorrel are borne on long petioles and are distinctively spear-shaped. They are soft and fleshy in texture and have a bitter and sour taste.

THE PLANT Sorrel is a weedy perennial herb with inconspicuous flowers borne in slender clusters. Several other sorrels are used as culinary herbs.1,2 French sorrel, also known as buckler-leaved sorrel (R. scutatus) can easily be recognized by the rounded leaf shape and prominent ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf lamina. Red-veined sorrel (R. sanguineus) has oblong and tapering leaves, beautifully decorated with bright red main and secondary veins. Sheep sorrel (R. acetosella) is a common weed with small, spear-shaped leaves that is sometimes wild-harvested.1,2

ORIGIN Common sorrel is indigenous to Europe and northern Asia. It has been used as potherb in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, and in Europe since medieval times for the traditional early spring sorrel soup. Sorrel and other green herbs were once important as sources of vitamin C to prevent scurvy.

CULTIVATION Sorrel is easily grown from seeds or by division of mature clumps. In very warm regions, it does best in partial shade – the leaves stay green and do not get too bitter.1 Regular watering and feeding is necessary to maintain healthy plants. Use acidic compost as mulch to ensure that the soil remains acidic, as it will not thrive in alkaline soil.1 Plants are often grown in kitchen gardens or alongside rural restaurants to ensure a convenient and regular supply of fresh leaves. Sorrel is readily available from supermarkets and fresh produce markets.

HARVESTING Various types of sorrel are wild-harvested in Europe. In the garden, healthy young leaves can be picked throughout spring and summer. Sorrel does not dry well but can be successfully frozen.1,3

CULINARY USES Sorrel has many culinary uses in European and especially French cuisine3 and is traditionally served with fish, veal and egg dishes. Fresh young leaves, usually with the stalks removed, are added to salads, cooked in the same way as spinach or used to prepare velouté sauce.3 It can be puréed to make sorrel purée, often with cream or a white roux added, or used as a filling for omelettes.3 Sorrel soup is popular in Russia, Poland and most eastern European countries, where it is sometimes referred to as “green borsch”. It is served hot or cold, often with a garnish of sour cream (cream changes the acidity of the dish because oxalic acid reacts with calcium). The name sorrel has also been applied to Oxalis pes-caprae, a sour-tasting weedy plant in the Cape region of South Africa. It is traditionally used as a substitute for vinegar when making the well-known lamb or mutton stew called waterblommetjiebredie. This delicious signature dish of the Cape cuisine is made with the inflorescences of Cape pond weed (Aponogeton distachyos).

FLAVOUR COMPOUNDS The sour and bitter taste is due to oxalic acid and perhaps also the astringency caused by gallic acid. Cultivated sorrels tend to have a lower gallic acid content.4

NOTES Sorrel leaves or leaf juice is traditionally applied to the skin as a first aid treatment to relieve the pain caused by stinging nettles.

1. McVicar, J. 2007. Jekka’s complete herb book. Kyle Cathie Limited, London.

2. Phillips, R., Foy, N. 1992. Herbs. Pan Books, London.

3. Larousse. 1999. The concise Larousse gastronomique. Hamlyn, London.

4. Balog, K., Svirčev, E., Lesjak, M., Orcic, D., Beara, I., Francišković, M., Simin, N. 2012. Phenolic profiling of Rumex L. species by means of the LC-MS/MS. Planta Medica 78: 12 (Congress abstract).