Generality
The "nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Urticaceae family.
The common nettle is divided into six subspecies, five of which are provided with stinging "hollow hairs" arranged on the leaves and stems. These hairs, called trichomes, they act as “hypodermic needles” and upon contact with the skin they inject certain substances, such as histamine and other itchy molecules, which produce a sensation of irritation and strong skin burning.
The stinging nettle has a long history of medicinal use, but also as a food and as a source of textile fiber.
Nutritional Characteristics
The nettle is a vegetable that can be contextualized in the vegetable family (even if it is cultivated and not cultivated).
Nettle Nutritional Values
It has a low energy intake, mainly provided by proteins (with a low biological value), followed by carbohydrates (simple) and finally by lipids (mainly polyunsaturated). If picked in its favorite season, dried nettle contains up to 25% protein (quite high for a herbaceous plant).
It also contains a good amount of dietary fiber, while cholesterol is absent.
As far as vitamins are concerned, nettle is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C, but the concentrations of vitamin E and vitamin B1 (thiamine) should not be ignored.
From a mineral point of view, the saline concentrations of iron, calcium, potassium and (even if not mentioned in the table) manganese stand out.
It is a food suitable for any type of diet, even if, logically, nettle should be avoided in the diet of specifically hypersensitive people and in those who show adverse reactions to dietary histamine.
Food use
The nettle tastes similar to that of spinach and when cooked it gives off an odor that vaguely resembles cucumber.
Native Americans collected young nettle plants and ate them as cooked grass in the spring season when other herbaceous plants were in short supply.
Soaking nettles in water, like cooking, removes stinging chemicals from the plant and allows their handling and food consumption without running the risk of injury.
The flowering or fruiting nettle produces particles called cystoliths, which if taken in excess can irritate the urinary tract; for safety reasons, at this stage, nettles should not even be considered edible.
The dried nettle leaves and flowers can be used for herbal teas.
Nettle is used in many recipes such as: polenta with nettles, nettle pesto, nettle puree and nettle soup; probably, the latter is the most common recipe throughout Northern and Eastern Europe.
To date, nettles are rarely used in cooking in Italy; however, in the gastronomic tradition of the Bel Paese there are many recipes (unfortunately, no longer in use) which involve the use of the leaves.
The nettle can represent a side dish, the main ingredient of certain sauces, the filling of pasta or savory pies and the pigment to obtain fresh green pasta (such as spinach or rocket).
With nettles it is also possible to make a very tasty jam.
In Nepal and in the Kumaon and Gargwal region of Northern India, nettle is known by the names of "sisnu", "kandeli" and "bicchu-buti".It is also found in abundance in Kashmir, where it is called “soi”. Here, nettle is a very popular vegetable and is cooked with the use of various spices (typically Indian).
Nettles are sometimes used as flavorings in cheese making; for example, for the "cornish yarg" or some types of "gouda".
Nettles are commonly used in Albania (and throughout the Balkan area, up to Turkey) as an ingredient in the filling of the "borek". In this recipe, the apical leaves of the young plants are selected and then boiled and mixed with: others herbs, rice etc; this dough is a filling to be placed between various layers of puff pastry.
Risotto Alle Nettles
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Drinks based on nettles
The nettle can be infused in a concentrated solution of water and sugar to obtain a flavored syrup.
The leaves, once soaked, are removed in due time and a food source of citric acid (usually made up of lemon juice) is added to the liquid. This can favor the preservation of the product while at the same time giving it an acidulous taste note.
Commercial nettle syrups are quite concentrated and should be diluted in about ten parts of water before consumption (therefore, 100ml per liter of water). This high sugar concentration gives the nettle syrup a very long shelf life.
With nettle it is also possible to flavor beer, which is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in the countryside of the British Isles.
Medicinal Uses
The leaves of the nettle are ingredients with a long medicinal and herbalist tradition.
Probably, the predominant use of nettle is for the topical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (in Germany). In fact, nettle leaf extract contains various active compounds that reduce TNF-α and other inflammatory cytokines, thanks to "inhibition of genetic transcription factors in the synovial tissue that lines the joint."
Nettle has also been widely used in traditional Austrian medicine for internal use (fresh or dried leaves) for the treatment of kidney and urinary tract disorders, gastrointestinal tract, locomotor system, skin, cardiovascular system, haemorrhages, flu, rheumatism and gout.
Nettle is used in specific shampoos for the control of dandruff and (it is said) for the shine of the hair. Also for this reason, some breeders supplement the feed of livestock with nettles.
The root extract of nettle has been extensively studied as a treatment aimed at reducing the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). These extracts have been shown to help alleviate the discomforts of BPH compared to placebo, even in combination with other products herbal. For more information, see the article: Nettle and Prostate Health.
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