What is watercress?

Watercress is a cruciferous plant, part of the same family as Broccoli, Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts and Wasabi. The botanical name for watercress is nasturtium officinale.

What does watercress look like?

Watercress Plant Cross Section

Watercress Plant Cross Section

This is what watercress looks like – as you can see, the watercress has long roots and multiple petioles with round-ish dark green leaves.

Watercress Seeds

Watercress Seeds

These are watercress seeds; this is how watercress begins its journey. These seeds are sewn in a gravel lined bed which are designed to allow water to flow through them easily.

Watercress Leaves

Watercress Leaves

These are watercress leaves – we like to think of watercress as a natural solar panel! These wide, flat leaves open up to the sky and use the energy from the sun, combined with the rich minerals from the water, to grow.

What does watercress taste like?

Watercress has a complex taste profile. As a salad leaf it tastes very fresh, however as a member of the Brassica family there is a delicious peppery flavour to watercress.