Spectacular samphire

Once a much-derided (and frequently fraudulent) substitute for rock samphire in the eponymous Victorian pickle, marsh samphire gradually gained favour as a smart accompaniment to fish.

This all seems odd to me as, frankly, why one would wish to eat rock samphire in any form is a complete mystery. With a flavour of carrot and turpentine, it is horrible raw and even worse when pickled.

Marsh samphire, by contrast, has a mild asparagus flavour and is salty and wonderfully crisp. The fortunes of the two plants have reversed, with marsh samphire widely venerated and the likes of salmon, samphire and