Walking around the 4th century BC Byzantine ruins at Amathounda this morning in South Eastern Cyprus, I was struck by the utterly gorgeous thistles thriving in what is otherwise a seemingly hot, dry and rather barren landscape. My 20-years-living-here friend didn't know the name of it, beyond "local thistle" and so I made a point of identifying and reading further when we got back into the cool of her home later.
After a wonderfully informative lookey-see online, I determined that it is one of only two native thistles to Cyprus: Onopurdom Cyprium, the Cypriot Donkey Thistle. The local name in the Cypriot language apparently means donkey fart. 😜 And yes, they are common food for the many wild donkeys found wandering in particularly the occupied and eastern parts of Cyprus.
Is it edible? herbaceous and healing? Oh yes.
A deep study of the edible plants of Cyprus puts Donkey Thistle as one of 4 plants commonly used in the region around Larnaca-Limassol for Horta.
What is Horta?
"Horta" literally means "greens" in Cypriot, and it's a assortment of wild and seasonal greens which are broiled, boiled or steamed and then served with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh, local lemon. YUM!!
Like the much-better-known milk Thistle, the seeds of the Donkey Thistle are edible and also contain many natural phyto-chemicals which help restore and protect the liver. How to prepare? The seeds are collected and then lightly toasted and sprinkled over food, or they are ground and used as medicine.
So apart from collecting and consuming the seeds, how to navigate the thorns?
The best part of the plant for eating is the rosette of greens that form at the base of the plant. Pick them carefully, and wash them well. The bigger leaves at the base of the stems are easy to pick too. The fibrous stalks are best left alone 😁 and it's probably fair to say that if you're foraging or seeking to consume the greens, best to simply look for small and young plants.
Love learning about the healing plants, wherever I go!!
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