Hedge Mustard

Sisymbrium officinale

NL: Gewone Raket / F: Herbe au chantre

Hedge mustard is found abundantly in fields and loose soils. Young shoots and seeds can be eaten raw or cooked. It can also be dried and ground into powder to flavour other dishes a little bit like regular mustard. It tastes bitter, acrid and it is not the most popular wild green, but pretty healthy.

In traditional folk medicine, this plant has been used as a mild laxative, diuretic, expectorant and also to heal stomach ailments In the old days in France this plant used to be widely known in herbal medicine as the “Singer’s Plant” (Herbe aux Chantres), for its great properties to treat loss of voice. In Greece it was believed that this plant was an antidote to all poisons. 

Foraging for Brassicas

Foraging for wild foods during winter months brings us in contact with precious plants such as cresses and rocket. They belong to a family of plants that are greatly valued for their medicinal properties and nutritional richness: Brassicaceae, also still known as Cruciferae. It is the family of cabbages, kale, broccoli, mustard, watercress, horseradish, but also plenty of other wild edibles that are less known. Christopher Hope gives us a nice introduction to the world of Brassicas in the article (click on the link below):

Foraging for wild food and medicinal plants - Brassicas

Wild edibles with Sergei Boutenko

New video link available - Wild edibles with Sergei Boutenko


check out our video link section for all 4 parts !