Corn salad, mache, lamb’s lettuce, field salad and field lettuce are all names for a salad green of the valerian family. The plant grows in a rosette of long spoon shaped leaves which may also be clustered in loose head. The lamb’s lettuce name possibly comes from its resemblance to the size and shape of a lamb’s tongue, or the fact that it is one of their favourite grazing plants - reputed to give them their friskiness during spring. It has been used for thousands of years.
The leaves of this herb are very nutritious as they contain high amounts of vitamin B1 and vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, carbohydrate, protein and dietary fibre. It has other lesser known compounds and is said to be depurative (purifying agent), nervine (mildly soothing to nerves), refrigerant (gives a feeling of coolness) and anti-scurvy.
Historically it has been used to treat a number of conditions including:
The leaves are used in salad mixes together with other greens such as mustard leaves, rocket, dandelion, frisee etc, it can also be cooked (boiled) and used in soups and stuffings.
| This information is licensed for use by Wellbeing Information Systems Ltd ("WIS"), and protected by international copyright law. All rights are reserved. (email info@wisinfo.co.uk). |