“What is a weed?” Ralph Waldo Emerson once mused in a lecture. “A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” Indeed, which grow on the invasive black locust tree, are highly aromatic and taste vaguely of peas; they are commonly eaten fried or steeped into a syrup. The seeds of can be ground into a buckwheat-like flour. Enjoy the bracing punch of leaves raw in salad, or temper their bite by sautéing them with garlic. In Mexico, verdolagas, or , features in a stew of salsa verde and braised pork. (often mistaken for clover) and arrow-shaped are tart and citrusy; they can be used to garnish fish or any other dish that could use a bright finishing touch. Cooking softens the histamine-injecting spines that can cause pain to humans upon contact; they are often made into teas or soups. Unripened seed pods of make an apt substitute for black pepper. Colorful can be candied and used as a garnish for desserts. The delicate greens of are beloved in Shanghai, where they feature in dumplings and soup and with stir-fried rice cakes.
