Pepperwort: Effects, Uses, and Dosage

Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) describes a plant species that belongs to the genus of cress.

Due to its close relation to the better-known garden cress, the plant is also called perennial cress, because it is perennial. The native habitat of these herbaceous plants is the European and Asian coasts, especially the northwest coasts of Europe. Here, the herb prefers salty sandy or clay soils such as dunes. Pepperweed is less commonly found inland in Europe and Asia. Occasionally, it can be found in meadows near rivers. At the beginning of the 20th century, it spread beyond the Eurasian region to North America.

Mustard oil glycosides, essential oils, as well as bitter substances and lepidin are important ingredients of pepperweed.

Although pepperweed is rather little known, it is excellent for use in the kitchen. Its taste resembles that of the related garden cress, but it can add more spiciness. As young, freshly picked leaves, pepperweed tastes good with potatoes, quark, and egg dishes and also makes a great addition to salads. Older leaves can be prepared like vegetables, and even the rootstock of pepperweed can be used culinarily – in this respect, the herb is similar to horseradish.

In her books, the herbalist Hildegard von Bingen attributed various healing effects to pepperweed in the Middle Ages. For example, she used it as an important ingredient in her Bärwurz spice mix. However, today it is assumed that the saint did not mean pepperweed in her descriptions but possibly referred to savory, which is often called pepperweed in folk language. Which plant Hildegard von Bingen actually referred to in her writings is still not clearly clarified.

Despite its relation to other cress species, pepperweed shows clear differences in appearance compared to other representatives. Unlike other cresses, pepperweed grows perennially and withstands winter. It develops flower spikes up to one meter high, which remain rather inconspicuous despite their height. In winter, the herb retreats into the ground and sprouts anew in a different spot in spring.