Jerusalem Artichokes are funny little things, grossly misnamed because they’re neither real artichokes nor are they from Jerusalem! The Jerusalem Artichoke is native to North America and is in fact, a member of the lettuce family that is also related to the…
Kiwi berries (Actinidia Arguta), miniature versions of the more well known Kiwi Fruit, are native to China, Japan and Eastern Siberia. Also known as Hardy kiwifruit, kiwi berry, arctic kiwi, baby kiwi, dessert kiwi, grape kiwi, northern kiwi, or cocktail kiwi these…
Shiso leaves are from the shiso plant, a perennial herb that is also known as perilla (perilla frustescens) and belongs to the mint family. The leaves come in two colours, green as you see here, as well as red It…
Damsons, a subspecies of plums, is a small, dark purple fruit that grows wild in Great Britain, with a tart flavour more suitable to cooking. In all the years living in this part of the UK (the south coast of…
Samphire is a spindly plant that grows on rocks and in marshes in coastal areas and by that association, is naturally salty. Half-way down Hangs one that gathers samphire; dreadful trade! (Act IV, Scene VI) Shakespeare, mentioning Samphire in King…
Thai Holy Basil is one of many varieties of holy basil or Tulsi as it’s known in India with a distinctive aroma. Ocimum tenuiflorum is sharp and peppery, with perhaps a touch of lemon. Many people confuse it with Thai…