Anyone tried samphire?

[Fran182716]

Just had some for my tea, saw it in tesco and I'm looking for new veg to try as I keep having nasty digestive reaction to high fodmap veg which cuts out most of the green ones. I'm guessing it's some sort of seaweed, and it was delicious steamed, had it with baked salmon and a jacket sweet potato. Very salty so you wouldn't want it with another salty food but really yum. No idea of the nutritional content, I'd better look that up ☀️

[Hidden]

I've seen it on Masterchef but never tried it, like the sound of you meal !! 😇

[Penel]

Yes, lovely stuff. We have occasionally been able to pick it ourselves. It's delicious with fresh sardines, when you can get them. Lots of vitamins. Glad to hear it's ok for your stomach.

[Hidden]

Love samphire. It is very nutritious and just delicious.

[Fran182716]

I've just been reading about samphire and it has an impressive list of vitamin and mineral content. Also quite by accident I picked a vegetable known for calming the digestion! ☀️

[Hidden]

When we went to Norfolk last summer I found out we'd been trekking through fields of pure samphire - I was wondering what the tiny asparagus-like plants were everywhere but that's what they were! I think you're not allowed to just pick them though - at least not in that area (the Norfolk salt marshes near The Wash) - they're crucial for stopping England's borders from getting dissolved into the North Sea! But yes they're meant to be very good for minerals etc. Didn't know about their digestive qualities though. How are you finding the Fodmap diet? I've considered it, as I have digestive issues of my own. But I hate the idea of limiting any fruits or vegetables - I love them all

[Fran182716 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Ruth, on the back of the pack it said it came from a cultivated marsh farm - I wonder if that's what you walked through ! I'm not exactly following the fodmap diet as I'm sure I dont have true IBS, I'm fine with wheat and dairy, i only get symptoms when I eat the high fodmap veg, and beans. I'm ok with other pulses like chickpeas and lentils. The veg I react to are broccoli, cabbage, kale, onions, and worst of all are leeks. I can tolerate a little cauliflower or garlic and the green ends of spring onions are ok but not the bulbs. It's been a case of having to cut them out as my insides inflate like a balloon and its painful and the -ahem- "wind" is a really embarrassing side effect 😳 Fruit seems to be okay except apples which I can only eat cooked without the skins. I do miss the green veg though, I eat a lot of spinach but it's nice to have a change sometimes hence trying the samphire ☀️

[Hidden in reply to Fran182716]

Have you tried fennel tea? I was recommended it for the -cough- *gas* - that awful feeling of pressure inside your stomach - I absolutely know the feeling you're describing and it's painful - no laughing matter really... Peppermint tea helps a bit but fennel tea is completely the business. It doesn't taste too great though so I've been getting it in a blend called 'Bedtime' by Yogi - they have it in Holland & Barretts - I think pukka teas do a blend too - called 'detox' I think - which they should have in Tescos etc.

I think we are different though so maybe the Fodmap isn't for me - because since giving up dairy and wheat I've definitely been a lot better. And I have a lot of veg and beans and don't seem to suffer from them - just suffer more generally from having too much of anything in one go, or accidentally having something with wheat in.

[Hidden in reply to Fran182716]

By the way I think the 'cultivated' samphire is probably not the type that's keeping England from dissolving into the sea - it must be farmed somewhere slightly less endangered, perhaps inland a bit.... I've only actually tried samphire once and found it mega salty - but maybe it's good salt not bad salt

[Fran182716 in reply to Hidden]

Yes I'm sure youre right the coastal defences would need to remain unharvested! It certainly was salty but I'm not worried about that as overall I don't have much salt. Thanks for the tip about the teas, I actually have peppermint at home for my sons girlfriend but not tried it myself. We do seem to react to different things, but like you I'm pretty much ok if I avoid the trouble-makers, good to know about the teas though as I sometimes get caught out if I haven't cooked something myself - very hard to avoid onion it's in everything☀️

[Penel in reply to Fran182716]

A slice or two of peeled ginger root infused in boiling water can also help with the 'bloats'.

[Fran182716 in reply to Penel]

Good tip, thanks Penel ☀️

[Hidden]

Samphire rocks! I moved to Norfolk In the 70s. We did pick samphire (and shellfish, blackberries, chestnuts....) because we didn't have much money. But PLEASE don't pick it from the wild nowadays.

[Fran182716 in reply to Hidden]

Promise I won't! I live in Birmingham, about as far as you can get from the sea in this country, so it'll come in a packet from tesco ☀️

[Stephb]

Too salty for my tastebuds!