Comments on: Samphire but no dead parrots

By: Donna

Donna — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:57:15 +0000

I know this is a very old blog post, but I’d like to comment anyway in case someone comes across it in a search, as I did.

Kitchen hand:

Swan Bay is one of the ONLY winter feeding grounds for the critically endangered orange bellied parrot (under 200 wild birds). These feeding grounds – saltmarshes with the native plants the feed on – used to stretch across the coast of all of Victoria. It is a big deal, more important than the novelty of wild harvesting interesting foods.

Swan Bay is a protected area, but please leave all Victorian saltmarshes alone; there are precious few left and they are ecologically important sites for tens of thousands of birds besides the orange bellied parrot, as well as supporting even more insects, amphibians and other forms of wildlife.

Wild harvesting sounds lovely and quaint in theory, but we’re in an age where we’ve destroyed much of the native environment and need to protect the handful left, not further destroy it by walking through it, harvesting plants and encouraging others to do so. Please do your research before wild harvesting, on both the plants you intend to harvest and the area you’re harvesting from.

By: KMO

KMO — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:09:25 +0000

Hi,

Where/who can i order Samphire from in Sydney?

Thanks

By: Ed

Ed — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:38:49 +0000

Glen, have you tried the Farmers’ Markets. I’ve seen it down here at the FMs on an indigenous produce stall.

By: glen

glen — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:47:36 +0000

where can i buy glasswort in NSW?

By: chef

chef — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:23:38 +0000

I have been usng this beautiful sea grass for may years now and yes tonight I dined on it at home with a rare cooked kanga fillet and sweet potato skordilla. it is well worth seeking, but remember…. leave some for the future. A quote from an indigenous book from 1957… yes we all could go out and pick bush foods, but if we all did there would be none left in a short time…, respect the process of pick some but leave plenty.

By: Ed

Ed — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:44:58 +0000

Mary-Anne, you’ve reminded me it is samphire season here again and my friend who collects its commercially is out there with his hege trimmer doing it right now.

By: Mary-Anne Durkee

Mary-Anne Durkee — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:41:01 +0000

Samphire (also called sea green bean) is a wonderful ingredient for garnishes and salads. I first ate it in a Vancover, British Colombia restaurant (Liliget Feast House) that featured Native Indian cuisine-lovely place. We dined on smoked wild local salmon, venison, etc. I can buy Samphire here in speciality markets. The samphire salad was a delight and I do use it from time to time when I see it in the facy produce section.

Mary-Anne
San Francisco Bay Area

By: Ed

Ed — Thu, 24 May 2007 03:48:49 +0000

Cin/AOF good to know there is a source. You only need a small amount as it is very salty. Like the bit about the indecent amounts of alcohol – and the limes too.

By: another outspoken female

another outspoken female — Thu, 24 May 2007 02:59:39 +0000

I chanced upon some today at the same stall as Cin. At $40-something a kg it seems pricey, but they werent woody like Ed’s and they are light as feather so ended up pretty cheap in the end. I’m thinking about putting them in a stir fry or salad.
Oh and don’t forget the unbelievable desert limes at the same stall – they are just screaming “muddle me with indecent amounts of alcohol!”.

By: cin

cin — Tue, 22 May 2007 12:37:50 +0000

I was recently saying to Neil that I can’t believe I finally sourced some samphire after reading about it on his blog some time ago.

I got mine at Vic Market – the stall closest to dairy section in the organics aisle. Don’t have it all the time but may be worth asking about it.