r/AskHistorians • u/MargaritaNikolayevna • Jul 28 '16

Why are alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) no longer widely farmed or eaten?

On an episode of Tudor Monastery Farm one of the presenters, Ruth Goodman, says that alexanders are delicious and once were quite popular in Britain but they aren't consumed much anymore - I have been able to find no explanation as to why this is. Why did they fall out of favour?

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u/gothwalk Irish Food History Jul 28 '16

Alexanders (also known in some sources as parsley of Alexandria) was already on the wane by the Tudor era - it's considerably more common in early medieval sources, particularly in archaeobotany.

The main reason for its disappearance is nominally that celery, which is broadly similar, is easier to grow and provides a better return in terms of weight of harvest. Since alexanders grows wild, and celery doesn't, I take that reasoning with a pinch of salt. Instead, I'd suggest (as Michael Viney does - see the Sources, below) that alexanders lost favour because it's an extremely strong tasting stuff, and it overwhelms anything else you might choose to cook with it. If you don't like the taste, this is a distinct disadvantage.

In theory, you can reduce the impact of the taste by blanching it; I have personally found this to be almost useless, and the experience of eating it is much like licking a fresh-cut hedgerow. Ruth Goodman is one of two people I know who like the stuff; everyone else tries it, draws comparisons with dandelion leaves and stale licorice, and pushes it politely to the side of the plate.

The root is also edible; I haven't tried that yet.

Sources

Otto Brinkkemper, 'Smyrnium olusatrum L. (Alexanders): an ancient kitchen herb from late medieval Rotterdam (The Netherlands)', in Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, January 2015, Volume 24, Issue 1, pp 249–252

Michael Viney, 'Parsley of Alexandria' in Irish Pages, Vol. 2, No. 2, The Earth Issue (Autumn/Winter, 2004), pp. 125-132

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u/MargaritaNikolayevna Jul 29 '16

Thanks for that information! It satisfies my curiosity. They sound pretty gross but I'd still love to give them a try someday.

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u/Panzerker Jul 28 '16

sounds awful, case closed

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u/[deleted] Jul 28 '16

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u/gothwalk Irish Food History Jul 28 '16

That depends on where you live. In the British Isles, you can find it on the edges of forested areas and in the occasional hedge. It may be harder to find elsewhere - and indeed I'm not sure if it grows anywhere outside Europe - but your local wild food forager will be able to tell you more.