Have you ever eaten purslane? If you've never tried it, you should! Not only is it delicious and nutritious, but it's also free if you can find some growing near you! What's purslane, you ask? Hunt Gather Cook explains:
Primarily we are talking about Portulaca oleracea, a low-growing, succulent annual native to… well, that is not entirely clear. Purslane grows all over the world, and there is ample evidence that native groups here in America were enjoying it long before Columbus showed up. There are a number of purslane cousins, all in the portulaca genus. Purslane grows in every state of both the United States and Mexico, as well as every Canadian province that borders the US. Across the rest of the world, it generally likes warmer places, but a cultivated variety that has gone native in my yard is from seed from Germany, of all places.
It's been popular as food and medicine forever. Again, Hunt Gather Cook:
Basically every culture that has a system of writing has been writing about eating this common weed as long as they've had writing. And those cultures with no written language have passed on the knowledge for millennia. Most every native group had a use for purslane, either as a green thing in the pot, a salad herb or as medicine. Pliny the Elder, whom most people know of more as a beer than as a 2000-year-old Roman philosopher, wrote highly of purslane, as did the Greek Theophrastus, a protege of Aristotle.
A friend who grows beautiful plants in her gorgeous garden recently asked if I wanted some purslane, and I jumped at the chance to try it again, as it had been years since I first sampled it. I remember having it in a salad over a decade ago and loving its slightly peppery taste and its crunchy texture that had just a touch of "slimy-ness" to it—think very mild okra or nopal cactus. I happen to love both okra and nopal, so I absolutely loved purslane when I first tried it and was excited to have some more.
I washed it all and separated the edible leaves and small stems from the larger ones that I didn't want to eat, and improvised a salad from things I had in my fridge. In a large bowl with the purslane, I tossed in a few sliced green garlic-stuffed olives, a handful of truffle-infused marcona almonds from Trader Joe's, and half of an English cucumber, roughly chopped. I added a couple of tablespoons of cilantro-lime-yogurt dressing, and voila – an absolutely scrumptious purslane salad!
Purslane is not just delicious, though; it's also very nutritious. Outdoor Apothecary calls it "one of Mother Nature's wild superfoods." Outdoor Apothecary goes on to describe some of its nutritional offerings:
Purslane has more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable, including kale.
Purslane has seven times more beta carotene than carrots.
Purslane is an excellent source of Vitamin A (44% of RDA) – one of the highest among leafy greens.
It boasts the highest levels of vitamin E of any leafy green analyzed.
It is packed with glutathione and other antioxidants, as well as iron.
The leaves are notably rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health and may help support a healthy immune system.
I highly recommend you try some purslane! Hunt Gather Cook warns, though, that it contains small amounts of oxalic acid, like sorrel and rhubarb, so you probably shouldn't eat it if you are prone to kidney stones. Foraged Foodie also warns that you should be very careful in foraging for purslane because you could accidentally encounter poisonous spurges from the Euphorbia genus—and you definitely don't want to eat those. Foraged Foodie provides a guide (with helpful photos) to identifying edible purslane and poisonous spurges and hints to tell them apart, including the following:
If you break the stem of purslane, there is NO sticky white liquid (called latex), Purslane may be a little sticky, but it will be clear, not white. However, small the latex on small spurge plants can be very hard to notice and/or dry up quickly, so make sure to use ALL identification points.
Consult with an expert before eating whatever you find on the ground, please! But when you do get your hands on some purslane, find some recipes online (I found lots with a quick search) and enjoy! I'd love to know your thoughts about it!
Previously:
• Short documentary about urban foragers in Chicago
