Samphire

Sea vegetable

Marsh samphire (Salicornia europaea), also called glasswort, grows in tidal salt marshes and mudflats around Britain’s coast and across Northwest Europe. It is bright green, succulent, and segmented — visually resembling a miniature cactus. The taste is intensely salty (it absorbs seawater in its tissues) with a clean, fresh marine quality. The narrow stems snap crisply when fresh.

Cooking method

Samphire requires almost no cooking — blanching in unsalted boiling water for 1–2 minutes (never salt the water; the plant is already salty), then draining and tossing with butter. It is the classic accompaniment to fish and seafood in British coastal cooking, particularly with dover sole, sea bass, and crab. Its saltiness and marine flavour complement rather than fight with seafood.

Rock samphire

Rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum) is a separate species from the Apiaceae family, growing on rocky coastal cliffs. It has a much more aromatic, pungent, and complex flavour — herbaceous, with notes of turpentine and carrot. It was historically pickled in vinegar as “sampier” and was Shakespeare’s herb of choice in the Gloucester Cliff scene of King Lear. It is harder to find than marsh samphire.

Glasswort and glass

The historical name “glasswort” comes from a former industrial use: samphire was harvested in large quantities, burned to produce ash rich in sodium carbonate, and used in the production of glass and soap. This use was replaced by industrial soda ash production in the 19th century.