Garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.), Water cress (Nasturtium officinale L.) and Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus L.)

These three plants, only two of which are botanically related, have been combined into one document for their almost equal culinary merits. The term cress will henceforth be used for all three plants described in this document.

Despite its name, paracress (para cress) is a herb wholly apart, and not related botanically nor culinarily to any of the cresses.

Fresh leaves. Unripe nasturtium fruits can be pickled and used as a substitute for capers.

Garden cress (left: leaves, flower and unripe fruits), water cress (middle: upper and lower side) and nasturtium (right: upper side)

Flower of garden cress

Water and garden cress belong to Brassicaceae (cabbage family); nasturtium belongs to Tropeolaceae, a botanically not related family of its own.

Cress and its relatives display a spicy aroma and a refreshing, peppery-pungent taste lasting only a few seconds.

Similar to many other members of the cabbage family (black and white mustard, horseradish, wasabi, rocket), all cresses owe their aroma to isothiocyanates. The isothiocyanates are formed from inactive precursors called glucosinolates as a reaction to injuries.

Garden cress flowers

Garden cress flowering top

Water and garden cress contain gluco­nasturtiin, which yields the 2-phenylethyl iso­thiocyanate (C6H5–CH2–CH2–NCS). In contrast, the pungency of nasturtium leaves comes from benzyl iso­thiocynate, (C6H5–CH2–NCS), which is created from gluco­tropaeolin (benzyl glucos­inolate); yet in nasturtium seeds, another glucosinolate was found (gluco­putranjivin), which yields isopropyl isothiocyanate on enzymatic hydrolysis. Benzyl isothiocyanate is closely related to the pungent principle of white mustard, but much more volatile and, thus, less persistent.

Since all these isothiocyantes are volatile and much susceptible to heat and moisture, cress aroma is most delicate; thus, cress leaves are always used fresh, never dried, and should not be boiled, baked or otherwise heated.

Garden cress probably stems from Western or Central Asia, where it is still found uncultivated. It is easy to cultivate and tolerates nearly every climate.

Garden cress: Flowering stalk with unripe fruits in the lower half

Water cress

Garden cress

The cosmopolitan water cress is similar in taste and can, thus, be substituted by ordinary garden cress; its aroma, however, is sometimes described superior to other cress species. Although water cress was one of the herbs which Charlemagne ordered to be grown in Imperial gardens (see lovage), it is not grown commercially in our days. It might be available on markets, either from small-scale backyard cultivation of from collections in the wild.

Nasturtium stems from Southern America, probably Perú, and was introduced to Europe by Spanish conquistadores. It is a common ornamental, but less used for cooking.

The Greeks knew a plant with pungent leaves which was of Persian origin; also the Greek name of that plant, kardamon [κάρδαμον], was a loan from the con­tempo­rary lan­guage of Persia. Though the exact botan­ical re­lations are un­clear, that word has sur­vived, in the form of kar­damo [κάρ­δαμο], as the New Greek name of garden cress (yet car­damom has the same name!). Cf. also the botan­ical name of the related genus Car­damine (bitter cress), which con­tains the Cuckoo Flower or Lady’s Smock, Car­damine pratense.

English cress (from Old Englisch cærse) is not related to that. Instead, it is usually put into relation with the otherwise isolated Latvian griezīgs sharp; another theory derives it from the Proto-Indo-European root GRAS devour whence also Old Norse kras delicacy, Sanskrit grasati [ग्रसति] he eats, Greek gran [γρᾶν] gnaw. See also the etymology of grass (lemon grass).

Water cress plant (Nasturtium officinale) © Birgit Wende

The classical Latin name nas­turtium (used by the Romans for several cress-like plants, mostly garden cress) probably derives from nasi-tortium nose pain (from nasus nose and the verb torquere torment) and refers to the sharp, pungent aroma. The term nasturtium has become the botani­cal genus name for water cress; yet, in English, it is common­ly used for Tropaeolum, a plant of new-world origin that was ob­vious­ly un­known to the Ro­mans.

Water cress bears, in most lan­uages, an attribute meaning water (Indo­nesian air, Finnish vesi, German Wasser, Italian acqua, Russian voda [вода], Greek nero [νερό]) or well; fountain (German Brunnen, French fontaine), referring to its frequent growth in silent water. About the etymology of water, see water pepper.

Some names of nas­turtium relate to its origin from Latin America, e.g., French cresson d’Inde or Swedish indian­krasse (Ameri­can) In­dian cress.

Nasturtium flowers (Tropaeolum majus) www.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de

Other names of nasturtium refer to its import by members of Catholic Christian orders, e.g., Bulgarian latinka [латин­ка], Turkish lâtin çiçeği and Kurdish ladan [لادةن]; in these names, latin hints to Rome as the center of the Roman Catholic Church. Names like German Kapuziner­kresse, French capucine, Dutch capuciener­kers, Italian cappuccina, Arabic nabat al-kabbusin [نبات الكبوسين] and Russian kaputsin-kress [капуцин-кресс] are motivated by the same association with Catholic monks, and in addition by the similar shapes of nasturtium flowers and the cowl of Capuchin monks. The name of the Capuchin order derive from Italian cappuccio hood; especially a monk’s cowl, related to English cap.

The botanical genus name of nasturtium, Tropaeolum, was coined from Greek tropaion [τρόπαιον or τροπαῖον] trophy, by which the ancients meant parts of the defeated enemy’s armour publicly displayed as a sign of victory. The reference is both to the shield-formed leaves and the flowers which resemble a helmet if viewed from the side. Tropaion itself derives from trope [τροπή] change, turning (also the turning point when a fight is lost) and is thus related to many English words like tropic (the parallels of latitude where the sun turns from the zenith) or catastrophe (the moment when fate turns to evil). The Proto-Indo-European root behind that word is TREP turn.

English speakers, beware: Since Nasturtium is the botanical name of water cress and not of the plant commonly called nasturtium, there is much room for confusion. Especially, gluconasturtiin does not occur in nasturtium!

Ilkas und Ullis Kochecke: Gartenkresse Ilkas und Ullis Kochecke: Brunnenkresse Nature One Health: Water Cress Sorting Lepidium names (www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au) Sorting Nasturtium names (www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au) Sorting Rorippa names (www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au) Sorting Tropaeolum names (www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au) Pflanzen des Capitulare de Villis: Brunnenkresse (biozac.de) Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk: Garden Cress Herbs by Linda Gilbert: Nasturtiums