[Sca-cooks] Eating wild plants (was Re: honey bees)

[Johnna Holloway]

> Searching Under Sawce alone, one turns up in Notes and Queries from  
> Jan-June 1859 page 457
>
> we were induced to make inquiries among the Jacks; and in that  
> direction we soon fell in with " Jackby-the-hedge " (the herb sauce- 
> alone, alliaire, or hedgemustard), which, according to Chambers, was  
> formerly eaten as a salad. To this its edible character testimony is  
> also borne by old Parkinson: " Jacke-of-the-hedge is eaten of many  
> country people as sawce to their salt fish " (Ilet ball, p. 114.)  
> Moreover, it has something of the flavour and pungency of garlic,  
> but only in an inferior degree. " Sawce alone, or Jacke-by-the- 
> hedge .... being bruised, smelleth of Garlicke, but more pleasantly,  
> and tasteth somewhat hot and sharpe" (76. p. 112.) Can this Jacke,  
> by any possibility, be the identical "herb John" which, being put  
> into the pot, did " neither much good nor hurt"? The identification  
> of plants by their old English names is sometimes extremely  
> difficult; and, in the present instance, we shall be thankful for  
> farther light from any botanical friend. ]
> --------
> The 1770 edition of The English physician enlarged: with three  
> hundred and sixty-nine medicines ... By Nicholas Culpeper ( on  
> google books - excuse the plain print mistakes here)
>
> Sawce alone, or Jack by the Hedge-Side. De/cript,] A I ' H E  
> lowerLeaves of this are rounder than those X that grow towards  
> theTops of the Stalks, and are set singly on a Joint, being somewhat  
> round and broad, pointed at the Ends, dented also about the  
> Edges,somewhat resemblingNettle-Jeaves fortheForm,butof a fre (her  
> green Co]our,not rough or pricking: The Flowers are white, growing  
> at the Top of the Stalks one above another, which beiBg past, follow  
> small long round Pod6, wherein are contained k»and Seed somewhat  
> blackish. The Root stringy .and thi.eady perished) •eriflteth every  
> Year after it hath given Seed, and raiseth itself again ofits own  
> sowing. The Plant, or any Part thereof aeing bruised, smellethof  
> Garlick, but more pleasantly, and :asteth somewhat hot and sharp,  
> almost like unto Rocket. £*la:e.~\ It groweth under Walls, and by  
> Hedge-rides, and Path-ways in Fields in many Places. Time, j It  
> flowereth in June, July, and August. Government and Virtues.'] It is  
> an Herb of Mercury. This is eatin by many Country People as Sauce to  
> their Salt Fish, and. helpeth well to digest the Crudities and other  
> corrupt Humours engendered thereby ; Itwarmeth also theStomach, and  
> causcth Digestion: The Juice thereof boiled with Honey, is ac- Helps  
> Digestion, Cough, counted to be as good ,|6 Hedge  
> toughPhlegm,WindChoMuslard for the Cough, to cut and licit,  
> Stones,Ulcers in tlic expectorate the tough Phlegm. Legs, The Seed  
> bruised and boiled in Wine is a singularly good Remedy for the Wind  
> ChQlick, or the Stone, being drank warm : It is also given to Women  
> troubled with the Mother, both to drink, and the Seed put into a  
> Cloth, and applied while it is warm, is of singular good Use. The  
> Leaves also, or the Seed boiled, is good to be used in Clysters to  
> ease the Pains of the Stone. The green Leaves are held to be good to  
> heal the Ulcers in the Legs.
>
> ----------
> OED defines sauce-alone as
>      The plant Sisymbrium Alliaria, a tall hedge-weed formerly used  
> as a flavouring for salads and sauces.
>
> 1530 PALSGR. 265/2 Sauce alone an herbe. 1548 TURNER Names Herbes  
> (E.D.S.) 82 Alliaria is called in english Sauce alone or Iacke of  
> the hedges. 1579 LANGHAM Gard. Health (1633) 592 Sausalone: It is  
> vsed of some instead of Garlike. 1597 GERARDE Herbal II. cclxvii.  
> 650 Sauce alone, or Jack by the hedge... Diuers eate the stamped  
> leaues heerof with salt fish, for a sauce. 1699 EVELYN Acetaria 29  
> Sauce-alone has many Medicinal Properties.
>
> Johnnae
>
> On Mar 24, 2010, at 4:22 PM, Johnna Holloway wrote:
>
>> Sawce alone
>