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 1. Food News
 2. Experts Say Watercress Is The Healthiest Vegetable On Earth


EXPERTS SAY WATERCRESS IS THE HEALTHIEST VEGETABLE ON EARTH

Here's why the peppery green is so good for you.

By Gabby RomeroUpdated: Aug 2, 2023
Save Article

Vilaiporn Chatchawal//Getty Images

Step aside, kale—there’s a new superfood on the scene. Agriculture and nutrition
experts have recently identified the healthiest vegetable on Earth.

The CDC assigns nutrition density scores to produce based on their concentration
of essential vitamins and minerals. Usual suspects like spinach, chard, and beet
greens all have scores ranging in the 80s. But the only vegetable to earn a
perfect score of 100 is watercress.

“What’s watercress?” you may ask. This leafy green is part of the Brassicaceae
family and grows in bodies of fresh water, like streams and ponds. It’s closely
related to cabbage, kale, radishes, and mustard. Its scientific name, Nasturtium
officinale, translates from Latin as “nose twister.” And if you've ever taken a
bite of the mature leaves, you know why.

Watercress has a pungent, peppery flavor—almost as if you crossed arugula with
horseradish. B&W Quality Growers reports that watercress has been eaten for over
three millennia. It was a staple ingredient in ancient Greek, Persian, and Roman
civilizations. The peppery vegetable was even on the menu at the first
Thanksgiving.

Because of its abundance in moist, temperate environments, some regions consider
the watercress to be a weed. But its steady supply also makes it a reliable and
nutrient-dense food source. The BBC reports that street vendors sold it as a
snack in Victorian-era London and called it “poor man’s bread.” It’s been
consumed for medicinal purposes across Europe and Asia for thousands of years.

And they were clearly onto something. “Watercress has a lot of health benefits,”
says Dr. Amy Lee, Head of Nutrition for Nucific. “It’s high in vitamin A and
potassium, more so than your typical lettuce.” And to top it off, watercress
contains more vitamin C than an orange does—which explains why Captain James
Cook considered the vegetable to be a scurvy cure while he circumnavigated the
Earth.

The only downside? It can be difficult to find. “It’s not super common,” says
Dr. Lee. “It can only be found at specialty markets and places like Whole Foods,
not your typical Safeway.” But if you manage to get your hands on some
watercress, there are plenty of ways to incorporate it into your diet.




WHAT TO COOK WITH WATERCRESS

Younger sprouts have a more mild flavor and tender, hollow stems. This makes
them ideal for raw preparations, like adding to salads and topping dishes like
you would with parsley and cilantro. Mature watercress takes on a much more
intense and peppery flavor. The stems also become more tough and fibrous, so
they should be cooked down to be made more palatable.

Dr. Lee grew up eating plenty of watercress in stir fries and savory broths.
Just like with any vegetable, Dr. Lee says it’s important to not overcook them.
“The longer you cook vegetables, the more the vitamins escape,” she says. "It
leeches into the cooking liquid and you’re left with the vegetables and nothing
else.”

That’s not to say that the best way to eat it is raw, however. For mature
watercress especially, breaking down some of the fibrous stems through cooking
helps to make more of the nutrients bioavailable. “There’s only so much time to
break down and metabolize food before it moves through your digestive system,”
Dr. Lee says. “It’s a balancing act.”

Gabby Romero
Editorial Assistant

Gabby Romero is Delish’s editorial assistant, where she writes stories about the
latest TikTok trends, develops recipes, and answers any and all of your
cooking-related questions. She loves eating spicy food, collecting cookbooks,
and adding a mountain of Parmesan to any dish she can.










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