Potent Edibles: Cultivating Highly Flavoured Plants in UK Gardens
British People Love Strong Flavours; Curries, Chillies Etc. And Many Highly Flavoured Plants Can Be Grown In UK Gardens.
Table of Contents
Supermarket herbs are fast grown and lack flavour because the plant oils have little time to fully develop. British gardeners will get better flavour than supermarket plants if they choose the right species and varieties … and grow the plants slower.
To cultivate highly flavoured crops in our kitchen gardens, that offer more bite than supermarket varieties, we need to look toward plants with high concentrations of essential oils and pungent secondary metabolites. The plants below are selected species and varieties that are well-suited to the British climate and provide significant aromatic depth to both raw and cooked dishes. Some are annuals but many are perennials and many are more unusual than the plants many gardeners grow.
The Perennial Foundation
Perennials offer a year-round base of flavour and require less maintenance once established.
Lovage (Levisticum officinale): An exceptionally hardy plant with a flavour described as a concentrated cross between celery and yeast extract (Marmite). Use it sparingly in soups or finely shredded in potato salads.
Broad-leaved Sorrel (Rumex acetosa): High oxalic acid content provides a sharp, lemon-like acidity. It is a traditional accompaniment to oily fish and adds a “zing” to mixed leaf salads. Alternatively grow red veined sorrel .. it taste as good but has a beautiful red colouration.
Winter Savory (Satureja montana): Hardier and more intense than summer savory, this pungent, peppery herb is classically paired with beans and pulses to (allegedly) aid digestion.
Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor): An evergreen perennial offering a clean, cool taste almost identical to cucumber, but with a nutty finish. It was traditionally used to “cool” summer punches. This one grows wild in my garden .. easy to control fortunately or it would be invasive.
Aromatic Annuals and Biennials
These plants are often the centre piece of traditional summer gardens, though some require careful management.
Dill (Anethum graveolens): Thrives in well-drained UK soil. Its unmistakable aniseed-parsley profile is found in both the delicate fronds and the highly aromatic seeds.
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum): Known for its polarising, citrusy notes. While prone to “bolting” in the UK, the resulting green seeds are welcome in my garden as they provide a floral, citrus punch even stronger than the leaves. Beware, some people find it has a soapy taste!
Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata): A British native with a strong liquorice scent. It acts as a natural sweetener; adding leaves to tart fruits like rhubarb can reduce the need for refined sugar.
Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum): Often found in coastal gardens, this biennial has a “primitive” flavour between celery, parsley, and black pepper. The young stems can be steamed like asparagus.
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus): A peppery annual edimental where every part is edible. The flowers add a spicy pop to salads, while the green seeds can be pickled to make “poor man’s capers.”
The Heat Seekers: Pungent Roots and Leaves
Many high-impact plants belong to the Brassicaceae family. These contain glucosinolates which, when crushed, produce isothiocyanates—the volatile compounds responsible for “nasal-clearing” heat.
The Heavy Hitters
Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana): The benchmark for garden pungency. This H7-hardy perennial is notoriously invasive and is best grown in a deep pot or “sink” bed. The heat is triggered only when the root is grated.
Wasabi (Eutrema japonicum): Growing “true” wasabi is possible in the UK in deep shade with constant moisture. It offers an intense, herbal heat and a sweet aftertaste.
Dittander (Lepidium latifolium): A forgotten British native known as “perennial mustard.” Its leaves have a strong, hot, salty-cress flavour and were the primary source of heat in English cooking before the 16th century.
Peppery Greens
Giant Red Mustard (Brassica juncea): Cultivars like ‘Osaka Purple’ are significantly more potent than standard mustard and cress, providing a sharp, sinus-clearing heat.
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale): The wild-type version is much “hotter” than supermarket stock. It can be grown in pots of saturated compost if the water is refreshed regularly. I always have a bit of this growing. Once it looks a bit tired grow a fresh pot from a rooted stem … they throw roots all the time. Or start again from surface sown seed on moist compost.
Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum): Unlike standard chives, these have a distinct garlic punch. Both the flat leaves and the white starry flowers are edible.
Hedgerow Astringency: The Sloe (Prunus spinosa)
Sloes, the fruit of the Blackthorn, are a British hedgerow staple. While too astringent to eat raw due to high tannins, they provide a sophisticated tartness when processed:
Sloe “Olives”: Unripe sloes pickled in brine with bay and coriander seeds.
Sloe Vinegar: A deep purple, plum-flavoured vinegar ideal for deglazing game pans.
Sloe & Apple Chutney: The natural pectin helps thicken preserves, adding a dark fruitiness and acidic back-note to savoury dishes.
Culinary Tip: The “Acid Fix”
To control the heat of Horseradish or Wasabi, use vinegar or lemon juice. Acid stops the enzyme reaction. For maximum heat, grate the root and wait 3 to 5 minutes before adding the acid; for a milder flavour, add it immediately.
Highly Favoured Plants: Cultivation Note
Most aromatic herbs produce higher levels of essential oils (and thus stronger flavour) when grown slowly in full sun and poor-to-medium fertility soil. Excess nutrition often results in lush green growth with diluted flavour profiles.
