A spokesperson for The Watercress Company, which organises the festival, said: “What’s the appeal of watercress? Well, it’s versatile, it’s delicious, adding a tasty peppery kick to any recipe, and it’s unbelievably good for you.”
Watercress contains more than 50 vitamins and minerals - gram for gram more calcium than milk, more vitamin C than an orange, more folate than a banana and more vitamin E than broccoli.
It is a good source of plant iron - because of its high levels of vitamins A and C, it is converted into a form of iron the body can easily absorb.
Watercress is high in antioxidants called glucosinolates and flavonoids which protect against cell damage and help prevent diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. One of these, phenethyl isothiocyanate, gives watercress its distinctive peppery taste.
This salad leaf was a powerhouse of the Alresford economy in the Victorian era, necessitating the building of the Watercress Line to help transport enough watercress to cities like London to cope with demand.
It is now experiencing a renaissance, including recognition of its method of production. Unusually for farmers of a vegetable, watercress growers received Traditional Speciality Guaranteed certification, so only watercress grown on gravel beds in flowing spring water can be called watercress – unlike land-grown imitations.
The spokesperson added: “There’s no better time to enjoy watercress than when it’s fresh from British farms, available from most major supermarkets from late April to early November. Make the most of this quintessential British crop and eat yourself healthy.”
For recipes visit www.watercress.co.uk, for more information on the health benefits of watercress visit www.thewatercresscompany.com, and for details of the Alresford Watercress Festival visit www.watercressfestival.org