Herb
Watercress
Watercress is a peppery aquatic herb with crisp stems and dark green leaves, eaten raw in salads and sandwiches or wilted into soups and sauces. Its mustard-family heat is cleaner and more mineral than land cresses. Traditionally grown in pure flowing water, modern production also uses hydroponic beds. Young sprigs are milder; flowering shoots turn hotter and more pungent.
Also known as: Cresson, Xiyangcai
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History
Watercress was known to classical writers as a sharp green grown in clean streams.
Commercial watercress beds expanded in England, supplying Victorian cities by rail.
Watercress sandwiches and soups became everyday British fare from specialised farms.
Food-safety standards and hydroponic systems modernised watercress production worldwide.