Garden Cress

Garden cress is a quick annual herb that reaches roughly 30 to 60 cm when allowed to mature, with finely divided leaves and clusters of small white or pinkish flowers. It sets small flat pods, each holding a few seeds. The seeds are tiny, oblong and reddish-brown, about 2 to 3 mm long, with a slightly pointed tip. When wetted they produce a clear mucilage coat, so they stick together and swell visibly. The flavour is sharp and peppery, similar to mustard or watercress, and slightly bitter in dry seeds. The plant is most often grown for its sprouts, which are ready in under a week. Seeds are sold whole in packets for sprouting, as dried seeds in South Asian and Middle Eastern groceries under names such as halim or aliv, and occasionally as ground meal.

Garden cress is generally considered native to western Asia and parts of Egypt, and it has spread widely through cultivation and naturalisation, so its exact original range is hard to pin down. It was cultivated early in the Mediterranean and Near East. The genus name Lepidium comes from a Greek word for a small scale, a reference to the little flat pods, and sativum is Latin for cultivated or sown. The English word cress derives from an old Germanic root related to creeping or crawling, perhaps describing how the seedlings spread. In Arabic the seeds are called habb al-rashad, and in Hindi they go by halim or chandrashoor.

Cress was eaten in the ancient Near East and in Greece and Rome. Greek writers on food and medicine recommended it as a sharp salad plant, and the Persian saying attributed to Xenophon that cress was good for the health of soldiers is often repeated, though the precise sourcing of that anecdote is uncertain. In medieval Europe it was a standard salad herb and a quick crop for monastery and cottage gardens.

In Arabic and Ayurvedic traditions the seeds acquired a reputation as a postpartum and strengthening food. In India they are soaked and added to sweets and drinks, and in several regions are given to new mothers in laddu-type confections. In Ethiopia and Eritrea the plant, called feto in some areas, is used as a spice and in sauces, and in parts of the Middle East the seeds appear in traditional preparations.

In northern Europe cress became associated with Victorian tea sandwiches and with schoolchildren growing seedlings on damp cotton wool, which made it one of the first plants many people ever grew. Today it is grown commercially as a microgreen and sprouting seed, and the seed itself is increasingly sold as a health food. Because it grows in days it remains a classic teaching plant, and a cheap way for households to produce fresh greens in any season.

The seedlings are the most common culinary form. They are snipped into egg sandwiches, salads, soups and dips, where they add a peppery bite. The mature leaves can be cooked lightly or used as a garnish. The dried seeds are soaked in water, milk or juice and drunk, stirred into porridge, or ground into sweets and flatbreads in South Asia, the Middle East and East Africa. In Ethiopian cooking the seeds act as a pungent seasoning. In folk medicine the seeds have been used for digestive complaints and as a lactation food, although these uses are supported mostly by tradition rather than strong clinical trials. The seeds contain an oil that has been studied for industrial use.

Garden cress seeds contain protein, fibre, iron and oil rich in unsaturated fats, and the leaves provide vitamin C and K. Laboratory and animal studies suggest possible effects on blood sugar, cholesterol and inflammation, but human trials are small and limited, so these should not be treated as proven benefits. Like other brassicas, the plant contains glucosinolates, which give its pungency. The mucilage in soaked seeds may help bulk and soften stool. It is best seen as a nutritious flavouring or sprouting food rather than a remedy.