Common Name: Stinging Nettle
Binomial Nomenclature: Urtica dioica
Culinary Use: The shoots and leaves – were traditionally picked as a spring tonic. Nettle ‘pudding’ or ‘porridge’ was eaten in parts of Britain as a ‘pick-me-up after the winter’. Modern research has revealed that nettle contains vitamin C and iron which explains its use as a spring vegetable. Cooking the plant, even briefly, destroys the stinging hairs and makes nettle safe to eat.Today, nettle is also a popular herbal tea.
Medicinal Use:
Fun Fact: There are about 18 varieties in the genus Urtica, including wood nettle, horsenettle, spurge nettle, and more. All look similar, can be eaten, are highly nutritious and have the same troublesome hairs.
Fun Fact: nettles are delicious in many spring recipes — from soups to salads, pizzas, and pastas