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Add tip or tutorialAsian herbs
A staggering range of non-traditional crops are growing quietly in our cities. And one woman – a self proclaimed ‘plant nut’ - has made it her mission to track them down.
Sally Cunningham, an expert gardener, describes herself as “that short fat woman on a motorbike, a plant nut - daft but quite harmless.”
Working in the Midlands, she befriends Asian grocers, knocks on strangers’ doors, and chats to elderly growers on allotments.
I met her last Sunday, at a workshop on sub-tropical veg. Crops she has documented include callaloo, white maize, Hamburg parsley, dudi, black-eye beans and water chestnuts – the latter grown by a lady in a paddling pool.
“We are in a golden age,” says Sally, “with access to the whole world’s seeds.” Our cultural diversity and appetite for ethnic cooking sets us apart. In other countries, seed catalogues offer just a fraction of our choice.
Sally now works for Garden Organic, the horticultural charity, on a project called Sowing New Seeds – exploring which exotic crops can be grown successfully in the UK.
Here are Sally’s top picks of less familiar crops to grow. For more ideas, check her book ‘Asian Vegetables’:
Lemongrass
You don’t need special seed. Just choose a fresh bunch in the supermarket or Asian grocer. Using a sharp knife, shave off the bottom few millimetres of root, and then plant the stems upright in a gritty compost, a few inches apart. After a month, check the roots are established by giving them a gentle tug. If so, move outside.
Harvest in August, leaving a few stalks growing through winter. Use in Thai broths and curries or stew the leaves for tea.
Coriander
Sow seed direct into the soil or containers. Keep the soil or compost moist. Be aware that coriander tends to bolt (go to seed), so sow a new batch every two weeks. You can use coriander seed from the supermarket, but choose the unwashed type. “Sow the grubby stuff,” says Sally.
Fenugreek
Often sold in Asian shops as meth, the Gujarati name for this popular plant. Sow like spinach and harvest the young leaves. Fenugreek prefers a damp soil, but is generally not too fussy.
“I prefer to half wilt it and use in quite large quantities, like parsley or coriander –a good handful per serving,” says Sally.
22nd April 2010
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Reviews
I'd assumed you couldn't grow Lemongrass here - so I'm giving this a go now...will see what happens!