Sorrel has a distinct sour note and sharp lemony tang due to it’s oxalic acid content. This trait has earned it the name “sour grass”.

Sorrel is an excellent source of potassium and vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K.

Garden sorrel produces green spinach-like leaves that can be prepared in similar manners. It may be used raw as salad green or a fresh herb, or sautéed similarly to spinach. The young leaves are tender and mild, best for fresh eating, while larger leaves become sharp and bitter, best for cooked applications. Sorrel makes an excellent puree, for sauces or soup. Complimentary flavors include, hard aged cheeses, cream, eggs, fish, caviar, oysters, lentils, potatoes, spinach, onion, shallot, mustard, parsley, tarragon, mint, chervil and nutmeg. It is recommended to only use a stainless steel knife when cutting sorrel, and to refrain from cooking in metal pots all together as its high acid content discolors and erodes metal cookware.

Garden sorrel is an ingredient on Essiac tea, an anti-cancer treatment originally formulated by the Ojibwa Indians and still taken today. It inhibits cancer cell growth by eliminating free radicals in the body as well as offering antibacterial properties which kill E. coli and other harmful germs.