İzmir's Delicious Wild Herbs

In most countries, wild herbs and greens are little known. Even in Turkey, where they are familiar, the variety and abundance found in the Aegean region is rare elsewhere. There are so many kinds that it is hard even to list them all. Sarmaşık, mallow (ebegümeci), nettle (ısırgan), cibez, radish greens (turp otu), chicory (hindiba), şevketi bostan, radika, samphire (deniz börülcesi), wild mustard (hardal otu), thistle (eşek dikeni), kenger, sorrel (kuzu kulağı), wild artichoke and arapsaçı are just some of the most widely eaten herbs along the coasts of İzmir and the Aegean…

Growing with the flavour that the Aegean climate and soil give them, these herbs are packed with vitamins and minerals. Like the olive oil that has been produced and used in the region for 2,500 years, they have been grown and eaten since ancient times, adding flavours to İzmir cuisine that you will not taste anywhere else.

Herbs have an important place in Aegean cuisine, where healthy, natural and balanced eating comes first. Besides their flavour, they are famous as a cure for a thousand ailments, and their health benefits are endless. Herbs with antioxidant value, such as radika and wild mustard, are very good for health, while others, such as eşek helvası and wild asparagus, help prevent the build-up of uric acid in the body. Capers are known to stimulate the appetite and give strength, and mallow is known to cleanse the blood.

When cooked, the herbs are not boiled for long; steaming is often preferred, so they keep their green colour. As well as being eaten as hot dishes, almost all of them are also made into salads and meze. Whether cooked or raw, olive oil is the one essential ingredient. Spices and additives are generally avoided in herb dishes, which are cooked in their pure, natural state. Stuffed courgette flowers, sautéed bitter greens (acı ot kavurması), nettle salad, artichokes, samphire with tomatoes, mallow with milk, silkme, şevket-i bostan with lamb and radish greens in olive oil are among the Aegean's signature dishes.

Let's take a closer look at some of these herbs.

Acı Soğan (Bitter Onion)

Acı soğan, which is actually the bulb of the wild hyacinth, grows around Alaçatı in İzmir. Because it is very bitter, it is boiled twice and then eaten dressed with olive oil and lemon.

Arapsaçı

Thanks to the fennel-like volatile oil in its leaves, arapsaçı has a strong, aniseed-like aroma. It is cooked as a dish and also used in salads. It helps relieve bloating.

Cibez

Also known as cücük in some areas, cibez is a type of wild cabbage. A tender, tasty plant, it is boiled and then dressed with olive oil and lemon.

Deniz Börülcesi (Samphire)

Growing on the seashore in tidal areas, where it appears once the water recedes, samphire is delicious with its salty, sour taste. Its salad, enriched with garlic and vinegar, is irresistible. It takes a little effort to prepare. As it is very salty itself, no salt should be added when cooking. Because it grows in iodine-rich soil, it is recommended for people with iodine deficiency.

Ebegümeci (Mallow)

Cooked as an olive-oil dish, mallow grows in the Aegean region and in many parts of Anatolia. Used not only at the table but also in natural medicine, mallow is known to have many benefits.

Gelincik Otu (Poppy Greens)

The poppy is a wildflower with an unpleasant smell and a naturally bitter taste. But when its young green shoots are sautéed with other herbs before it flowers, they take on a quite different flavour. Used not only at the table but also in natural medicine, poppy greens are known to have many benefits.

Hindiba (Radika)

A member of the daisy family, chicory has a slightly bitter taste, but not an unpleasant one. Its leaves are used in salads as well as in hot dishes. The leaves of wild chicory are also gathered in spring and eaten as a medicinal herb. Also known as radika, chicory is rich in calcium and minerals.

Isırgan Otu (Nettle)

Nettle is one of the staples of İzmir cuisine, and its benefits are countless. Nettle soup is famous and stands out with its distinctive flavour. Nettle is also cooked as a dish and drunk as a herbal tea. It is used in cosmetics too, with oil, soap and shampoo all made from it.

Kazayağı Otu (Goosefoot)

Named for its leaves, which resemble a goose's foot, kazayağı is a fragrant plant that grows in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions. It is made into köfte (patties), salads and even pickles. It is also eaten sautéed.

Sarmaşık

With its slightly bitter taste, sarmaşık has a distinctive flavour. It is usually boiled briefly to remove the bitterness, then sautéed and eaten with eggs cracked over it. It lowers cholesterol and urea and helps the body get rid of excess fluid.

Şevketibostan

Also known as süt dikeni, şevketibostan is a plant that grows in the winter months. It can be found in the wild from January until the end of March. Its dish cooked with lamb is very famous. It is also boiled and made into a salad. It is said to be a very healing herb.

Tarhana Otu

A member of the parsley family, tarhana otu goes by many names, such as çördük, çorduk and çöğür. It is a strongly scented plant 20–50 centimetres tall, either shrub-like or thornless and softly hairy, with yellow flowers. Its leaves are also used dried. The leaves and flowering stems are added to pickles and, as its name suggests, to tarhana soup for flavour and aroma.

Turp Otu (Radish Greens)

Sautéed with eggs cracked over it, it is irresistibly delicious, which is why it is also eaten at breakfast. Radish greens, which are also boiled and made into a salad, are known to have many benefits.