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Garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.), Water cress (Nasturtium officinale L.) and Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus L.)

Note

These three plants, only two of which are botanically related, have been combined into one document for their almost equal culinary merits. The term cress will henceforth be used for all three plants described in this document.

Despite its name, paracress (para cress) is a herb wholly apart, and not related botanically nor culinarily to any of the cresses.

Synonyms for garden cress (Lepidium sativum)

Lepidium sativum: Garden cress (flowering plant) Lepidium sativum: Garden cress flowers

Arabicرشاد, ثفاء
رَشَاد, ثِفَاء
Rashad, Thifa
Aramaicܬܚܠ, ܬܚܠܘܣܝܢ, ܬܚܠܝܢ
Tahla, Tahlusin, Tahlin
ArmenianԿոտեմ
Godem, Kotem
AssameseHalim-shak (?)
BasqueBeatze krechua, Beatze krexu, Berro, Bruminka
Bengaliহালিম শাক
Halim-sak?
BretonBeler-dour (Nasturtium officinale), Kabusinenn (Tropaelum majus)
BulgarianГоруха посевна
Goruha posevna
BurmeseMongnyin
Chinese
(Mandarin)
独行菜 [dú xíng cài], 獨行菜 [dú xíng cài], 家独行菜 [jiā dú xíng cài], 水堇 [shuǐ jǐn], 水薰 [shuǐ xūn], 水芥菜 [shuǐ jiè cài]
Du xing cai, Jia du xing cai, Shui jin, Shui xun
CroatianSjetvena grbica
CzechŘeřicha zahradní
DanishHavekarse
Dhivehiއަސަޅިޔާ
Asalhiyaa
DutchTuinkers, Sterrekers, Mosterdkers
EsperantoĜardena kreso
EstonianSalatkress
Farsiشاهی
Shahi
FinnishVihanneskrassi
FrenchCresson alénois, Passerage cultivée
Georgianწიწმატი
Ts’its’mat’i, Cicmati, Tsitsmati
GermanGartenkresse
GreekΚάρδαμο
Kardamo
Greek (Old)Λεπίδιον, Κάρδαμον
Lepidion, Kardamon
Gujaratiઅશેળિયો
Aseliyo
Hebrewראשד, רשד, שחלים תרבותיים
שַׁחֲלַיִם תַּרְבּוּתִיִּים
Rashad, Shakhalayim tarbutiyim
HindiHalim, Aselio
HungarianKerti zsázsa, Borsika, Borsfű, Pereszlén, Hurkafű, Bécsi rozmaring
IcelandicKarsi
ItalianAgretto, Crescione
Japanese胡椒草
こしょうそう
コショウソウ, ノウゼンハレン
Koshōsō, Koshoso, Nōzenharen, Nozenharen
KannadaAllibija, Kurthike
Korean큰다닥냉이
Kundadag-naengi
LatinCardamomum
LatvianKressalāti
LithuanianSėjamoji pipirnė
MacedonianКреша
Kreša
Malayalamആശാളി
Ashali
Manipuri (Meitei-Lon)চান্ত্রুক
ꯆꯥꯟꯇ꯭ꯔꯨꯛ
Chantruk
Marathiअळीव, अहळीव
Aliv, Alhiv
Nepaliचम्सुर, चमसुर
Chamsur
MongolianЦангуу
Tsanguu
NorwegianMatkarse
OriyaHidamba saga
OssetianХъыцъы
Qychy
PolishPieprzyca siewna, Rzeżucha ogrodowa
RomanianCreson
RussianКлоповник посевной, Кресс-салат
Klopovnik posevnoj, Kress-salat
SanskritChandrika, Raktabija
SerbianКрецава салата, Грбаштица, Грбица усјевна
Krecava salata, Grbaštica, Grbica usjevna
SlovakŽerucha siata
SlovenianVrtna draguša, Vrtna kreša
SpanishLepido, Mastuerzo
SwedishKryddkrassning
Tamilஆளி
Ali
Thaiเทียนแดง
Thian-daeng, Phak kat nam
TurkishTere otu, Büyük yerli teresi, Yerli teresi
UkrainianЧрінниця посівна, Крес салат
Chrinnitsya posivna, Kres salat
UrduHalim
VietnameseXà lách xon, Sà lách son
Xa lach son, Sa lach son
WelshBerwr
Yiddishקרעס, גאָרטנקרעס, פֿעפֿערגראָס
Kres, Gortnkres, Fefergros
Synonyms for water cress (Nasturtium officinale)

Nasturtium officinale: Water cress flowers Nasturtium officinale: Water cress (flowering twig)

botanicalRorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum
AlbanianNasturt, Kadrama, Këmbësorrë, Purqarku mjekësor, Shërç
ArabicBarbeen
ArmenianՋրի Կոտեմ
Chri Godem, Jhri Kotem
BulgarianКресон
Kreson
CatalanCréixecs, Créixens, Morritort d’aigua
ChineseSai-Eng-Chai, Sai-Yong choi
Chinese
(Mandarin)
水芥菜 [shuǐ jiè cài], 西洋菜 [xī yáng cài], 豆瓣菜 [dòu bàn cài]
Shui jie cai, Xi yang cai, Dou ban cai
Copticⲡⲑⲁⲣⲙⲓⲕⲏ, ϣⲗⲁⲉⲓⲛ
Ptharmike, Shlaein
CroatianDragušac, Potočarka
CzechPotočnice
DutchWaterkers, Echte waterkers
EsperantoAkvokreso
EstonianÜrt-allikkerss
Farsiتازه علف چشمه
Tazeh alaf cheshmeh
FinnishIsovesikrassi
FrenchCresson de fontaine
GaelicBiolair
GalicianAgrión
GermanBrunnenkresse
GreekΝεροκάρδαμο
Nerokardamo
Hebrew גרגיר הנחלים
גַּרְגִּיר הַנְּחָלִים
Gargir hannchalim
HungarianVízitorma
IcelandicVætukarsi
IndonesianSelada air, Cencil
ItalianCrescione d’acqua
Japanese和蘭芥子
おらんだがらし
オランダガラシ, ウォータークレス
Oranda-garashi, Uotakuresu
Korean크랫송, 크랫손, 물냉이, 워터크레스
Kuraessong, Kuraesson, Mul-laengi, Weota-kuresu, Wota-kuresu
Laoຜັກນ້ຳ, ຜັກແພງພວຍ
Nha kat hon, Pak nam, Pak pheng poi
LatinNasturtium, Cardamomum
LatvianAvotu krese
LithuanianVaistinis rėžiukas
MacedonianПоточарка
Potočarka
MalaySelada ayer
Nepaliखोले साग, पानी साग, बेतेन्द्र, सिम रायो
Khole sag, Pani sag, Betendra, Sim rayo
NorwegianBrønnkarse
OssetianДудгӕ
Dudgae
PolishRukiew wodna
PortugueseAgrião
RomanianNăsturel
RussianКресс водяной, Брункресс
Kress vodyanoj, Brunkress
SerbianКрстовник, Поточарка
Krstovnik, Potočarka
SlovakPotočnica lekárska
SlovenianVodna kreša
SpanishBerro di agua, Crenchas
SwedishKällfräne
TagalogLampaka
Teluguఆడేలు, ఆడేలు కూర
Adelu, Adiyalu, Adelu kura
Thaiสลัดน้ำ, วอเตอร์เครส
Salat-nam, Wotoekhres
TurkishSu teresi
UkrainianНастурція лікарська, Поточарка
Nasturtsiya likarska, Potocharka
VietnameseCải soong, Cải xoong
Cai soong
WelshBerwr y Dŵr
Yiddishזשערעכע
Zherekhe
Synonyms for nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Tropaeolum majus: Nasturtium (flower and leaves) Tropaeolum majus: Nasturtium flower

AlbanianTropeoli, Lule piperkë
Arabicنبات الكبوسين, أبو خنجر
نَباتُ الْكَبُّوسِين
Nabatu al-kabbusin, Abu khanjar
BelarusianНастурка
Nasturka
BulgarianЛатинка
Latinka
CatalanBequera, Caputxina, Llaguera, Morrissà, Morritort d’indies
Chinese
(Mandarin)
旱金莲 [hàn jīn lián], 金蓮花 [jīn lián huā]
Han jin lian, Jin lian hua
CroatianDragoljub
CzechLichořeřišnice větší
DanishNasturtie, Kapuciner karse, Baerkarse, Landloeber, Blomsterkarse, Tropæolum
DutchCapucienerkers, Oostindische kers
EnglishNasturtium, Common nasturtium, Garden nasturtium, Indian cress
EsperantoTropeolo, Granda tropeolo
EstonianSuur mungalill
Farsiلادن
Ladan
FinnishKoristekrassi, Köynnöskrassi, Krassesläktet
FrenchCapucine, Cresson d’Inde
GermanKapuzinerkresse, Indische Kresse &kaf;&dagesh;&vav;&holam;&bet;&patah;&ayin; &shin;&tsere;&memfi; &zayin;’ h
Hebrewכובע הנזיר, גרגיר הנזיר
כּוֹבַע הַנָזִיר, גַּרְגִּיר הַנָזִיר
Kova ha-nazir, Gargir ha-nazir
Hindiनस्टाशयम, जलकुम्भी
Nastashayam, Jal-Kumbhi?
IcelandicSkjaldflétta
ItalianCappuccina, Nasturzio indiano, Nasturzio del Perù, Nastuzio
Japanese金蓮花
きんれんか
キンレンカ, ナスタチューム
Kinrenka, Nasutachumu
HungarianSarkantyúka, Sarkantyúvirág, Kerti súka, Kapucinusvirág
Korean한련, 나스터츔, 나스터티움, 한련속
Nasuteochyum, Nasuteotium, Hallyŏsog, Hallyeon, Hallyŏn
LatvianKrese
LithuanianMažoji nasturtė, Nasturtė, Didžioji nasturtė
MalteseKapuċinella
NorwegianBlomkarse
PolishNasturcja
PortugueseChaga seca
RomanianCălțunașiCălţunaşi, CapuținăCapuţină, CondurașiConduraşi
RussianНастурция, Капуцин-кресс, Индейский кресс
Nasturtsiya, Kaputsin-kress, Indejskij kress
SerbianДрагољуб, Капучинка
Dragoljub, Kapučinka
SinhalaKakutupala
SlovakKapucínka väčšia
SlovenianKapucinček, Kapucinka
SpanishCapuchina, Nasturcia, Espuela de Galán
SwedishIndiankrasse
Thaiแนสเทอ’เชียม, นัชเทอฌัม, ผักนัซเทอ-ฌัม, นัซเทอร์-ฌัม
Naesto-chiyam, Nastho-cham, Pak Nachtoe-cham
TurkishLâtin çiçeği
UkrainianКрасоля велика, Капуцин, Настурція
Krasolya velyka, Kaputsyn, Nasturtsiya
Yiddishנאַסטורציע, קראַסולקע
Nasturtsie, Krasulke
Used plant part

Fresh leaves. Unripe nasturtium fruits can be pickled and used as a substitute for capers.

Lepidium sativum, Nasturtium officinale, Tropaeolum majus: Fresh leaves
Garden cress (left: leaves, flower and unripe fruits), water cress (middle: upper and lower side) and nasturtium (right: upper side)
Lepidium sativum: Flower of garden cress
Flower of garden cress
Plant family

Water and garden cress belong to Brassicaceae (cabbage family); nasturtium belongs to Tropaeo­laceae, a botanically not related family of its own.

Sensory quality

Cress and its relatives display a spicy aroma and a refreshing, peppery-pungent taste lasting only a few seconds.

Main constituents

Similar to many other members of the cabbage family (black and white mustard, horseradish, wasabi, rocket), all cresses owe their aroma to isothiocyanates. The isothiocyanates are formed from inactive precursors called glucosinolates as a reaction to injuries.

Lepidium sativum: Flowers of garden cress
Garden cress flowers
Lepidium sativus: Garden cress flower close-up
Garden cress flowering top

Water and gar­den cress contain gluco­nasturtiin, which yields the 2-phenyl­ethyl iso­thiocyanate (C6H5CH2–CH2NCS). In contrast, the pungency of nasturtium leaves comes from benzyl iso­thiocynate, (C6H5–CH2NCS), which is created from gluco­tropaeolin (benzyl glucos­inolate); yet in nasturtium seeds, another glucosinolate was found (gluco­putranjivin), which yields isopropyl isothiocyanate on enzymatic hydrolysis. Benzyl isothiocyanate is closely related to the pungent principle of white mustard, but much more volatile and, thus, less persistent.

Since all these isothiocyantes are volatile and much susceptible to heat and moisture, cress aroma is most delicate; thus, cress leaves are always used fresh, never dried, and should not be boiled, baked or otherwise heated.

Lepidium sativum: Flowering garden cress with ripening pods
Garden cress: Flowering stalk with unripe fruits in the lower half
Lepidium sativum: Garden cress in Nepal (chamsur)
Garden cress in Nepal
Lepidium sativum: Garden cress
Garden cress
Origin

Garden cress probably stems from West­ern or Cen­tral Asia, where it is still found in the wild state. It is easy to culti­vate and tol­er­ates nearly every climate.

The cosmo­politan water cress is similar in taste and can, thus, be sub­stituted by ordinary garden cress; its aroma, how­ever, is some­times de­scribed su­pe­rior to other cress species. Although water cress was one of the herbs which Charle­magne or­dered to be grown in Im­perial gardens (see lovage), it is not grown com­mer­cial­ly in our days. It might be available on markets, either from small-scale back­yard culti­vation of from collections in the wild.

Nasturtium stems from Southern America, probably Perú, and was introduced to Europe by Spanish conquistadores. It is a common ornamental, but less used for cooking.

Etymology

The Greeks knew a plant with pungent leaves which was of Persian origin; also the Greek name of that plant, kardamon [κάρδαμον], was a loan from the con­tempo­rary lan­guage of Persia. Though the exact botan­ical re­lations are un­clear, that word has sur­vived, in the form of kar­damo [κάρ­δαμο], as the New Greek name of garden cress (yet car­damom has the same name!). Cf. also the botan­ical name of the related genus Car­damine (bitter cress), which con­tains the Cuckoo Flower or Lady’s Smock, Car­damine pratense.

English cress (from Old English cærse) is not related to that. Instead, it is usually put into relation with the other­wise iso­lated Latvian griezīgs sharp; another theory derives it from the Proto-Indo–European root GRAS devour whence also Old Norse kras delicacy, Sanskrit grasati [ग्रसति] he eats, Greek gran [γρᾶν] gnaw. See also the etymo­logy of grass (lemon grass).

Comparatively few lan­gu­ages take the ob­vious choice to name cress as pepper-grass or pepper-herb, e. g., Yid­dish fefer­gros [פֿעפֿערגראָס], Hun­garian bors­fű and Japanese koshō-sō [胡椒草, こしょうそう, コショウソウ]. Only the third one is really a standard name, the former two are more regional variants. Possibly, also Georgian c’ic’mat’i [წიწმატი] has a similar back­ground (c’ic’ak’a [წიწაკა] chile). Note that some languages have a name of pepper-herb type that refers to savory; in Hun­garian, borsfű may actu­ally de­note both plants.

Nasturtium officinale: Well cress
Water cress
Nasturtium officinale: Water cress plant
Water cress plant (Nasturtium officinale)

© Birgit Wende

The classical Latin name nas­turtium (used by the Romans for several cress-like plants, mostly garden cress) probably derives from nasi-tortium nose pain (from nasus nose and the verb torquere torment) and refers to the sharp, pungent aroma. The term Nasturtium has become the botani­cal genus name for water cress; yet, in English, it is common­ly used for Tropaeolum, a plant of new-world origin that was ob­vious­ly un­known to the Ro­mans. Clearly, this is a source of confusion.

Water cress bears, in most lan­guages, an attribute meaning water (Indo­nesian air, Finnish vesi, German Wasser, Italian acqua, Russian voda [вода], Greek nero [νερό]) or well; fountain (German Brunnen, French fontaine), referring to its frequent growth in silent water. About the etymology of water, see water pepper.

Tropaeolum majus: Indian cress flowers
Nasturtium flowers (Tropaeolum majus)

www.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de

Some names of nas­turtium relate to its origin from Latin America, e. g., French cresson d’Inde or Swedish indian­krasse (Ameri­can) In­dian cress. These names, however, should not be confused with designations like Brazil cress which refer to a culinarily distinct plant commonly known as paracress.

Other names of nasturtium refer to its import by members of Catholic Christian orders, e. g., Turkish lâtin çiçeği Latin flower Bulgarian latinka [латин­ка] and Kurdish ladan [لادةن]; in these names, Latin hints not at the language but alludes to Rome as the center of the Roman Catholic Church. Names like German Kapuziner­kresse, French capucine, Dutch capuciener­kers, Italian cappuccina, Arabic nabat al-kabbusin [نبات الكبوسين] and Russian kaputsin-kress [капуцин-кресс] are motivated by the same association with Catholic monks, and in addition by the similar shapes of nasturtium flowers and the cowl of Capuchin monks. The name of the Capuchin order derive from Italian cappuccio hood; especially a monk’s cowl, related to English cap. The same motive is found in Hebrew kova ha-nazir [כובע הנזיר] monk's cap and gargir ha-nazir גרגיר הנזיר monk cresss.

The botanical genus name of nas­turtium, Trop­aeolum, was coined from Greek tropaion [τρόπαιον or τροπαῖον] trophy, by which the an­cients meant parts of the de­feated enemy’s armour pub­lic­ly dis­played as a sign of vic­tory. The re­ference is both to the shield-formed leaves and the flowers which resemble a helmet if viewed from the side. Tropaion itself derives from trope [τροπή] change, turning (also the turning point when a fight is lost) and is thus related to many English words like tropic (the parallels of latitude where the sun turns from the zenith) or catastrophe (the moment when fate turns to evil). The Proto-Indo–European root behind that word is TREP turn.

English speakers, beware: Since Nasturtium is the botanical name of water cress and not of the plant commonly called nasturtium, there is much room for confusion. Especially, gluconasturtiin does not occur in nasturtium!

Selected Links

Ilkas und Ullis Kochecke: Gartenkresse (rezkonv.de via archive.org) Ilkas und Ullis Kochecke: Brunnenkresse (rezkonv.de via archive.org) Sorting Lepidium names (www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au) Sorting Nasturtium names (www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au) Sorting Rorippa names (www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au) Sorting Tropaeolum names (www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au) Pflanzen des Capitulare de Villis: Brunnenkresse (biozac.de) Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk: Garden Cress Herbs by Linda Gilbert: Nasturtiums


Lepidium sativum: Garden cress, flowering plant
Garden cress, flowering plant
Lepidium sativum: Young garden cress seedlings
Young garden cress seedlings
All 3 cress species (which are approxi­mately inter­changeable in the kitchen) are popular in Europe and North­ern America and used for bread spreads (espe­cially such based on cot­tage cheese) and salads; simple bread with butter and fresh cress leaves tastes deli­cious. Less fre­quently, chopped cress leaves are topped on warm dishes, like veg­etable soups or scrambled eggs. Whenever used, cress turns an every­day dish into an ex­quisite delicacy.

In Europe, cress leaves are not com­mon­ly com­bined with other fresh herbs; yet they are com­patible with the fines herbes of French cuisine (see chives) and may be used to­gether with each of them. Leaves or even more flowers of nas­turtium are com­mon­ly used to flavour herbal vinegar (see dill); cress is also very good for herb sauces (see borage).

In West and Central Asia, there are local culinary herbs with cress-like flavour; most cook­books silently substi­tute cress in these recipes, which is the more justi­fied as garden cress actually stems from that region. Cress is used from North West­ern Asia (Georgia, Azer­baijan) to Central Asia (Iran); it even appears in Kazakhi cooking, as one of the few herbs supported by the climate in Kazakh­stan. I have not seen it any­where further East, except on the herb-rich markets of Manipur (see also chameleon plant) and in Nepali home gardens.

Nasturtium officinale: Water Cress in Western Nepal
Wild water cress in the Nepalese Himalaya
Tropaeolom majus: Nasturtium plants
Flowering nasturtium

The obvious dis­advan­tage of all cresses is that the leaves cannot be dried and are only rarely traded. Growing at home may be quite a chal­lenge for water cress, as it needs a wet habitat; but both garden cress and nasturtium grow well in every garden with minimal effort. Garden cress is surprisingly unpretending and grows extremely quickly; about one week after sowing, the young seedlings are ripe for harvest, although older plants are edible as well. To have fresh garden cress at any time, use three pots and sow in three-day intervals.

Nasturtium, on the other hand, needs a little bit more care than garden cress, but then may grow ex­uberant­ly for one season (in cold climate). Its yellow, orange or red flowers are very decora­tive and have addi­tional use: The flowers make an inter­esting decora­tion with a sligh rose-like scent and a mild pungency; young fruits have a strong flavour almost comparable to horse­radish. Both buds and young fruits may be pickled in vinegar (either hot or cold) and develop an interesting taste that makes them a good substitute for capers. Nevertheless, culinary use of leaves, buds or fruits is quite uncommon.

A Medi­terranean herb, rocket, displays a similar pungency like cress, but has also a distinct, intense flavour. Rocket can often be used as a spicier alternative to cress.



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