The Zangune: Grespini, genus Sonchus
Welcome to our blog also dedicated to Salento’s wild plants, a fascinating journey into the heart of nature and the culinary tradition of this extraordinary land. Here, we will explore the use of wild food plants, a heritage rooted in the peasant culture and folk wisdom of the Salento region. Together, we will discover how these often forgotten plants can enrich our tables with authentic and unique flavours, while offering health benefits. From wild chicory to capers, each plant tells a story and represents a deep connection with the land. Join me in this adventure of discovery and appreciation of the green wonders of Salento!
Grespino common name: Sonchus oleraceus L.
Other names: Sonco, cicerbita
Dialect names: zangune
Family: Asteraceae
Harvest period: Pre-flowering plant (mid-January to April)
History and origins of zangune
It is a well-known plant even though the name often says nothing or echoes in the minds of those of us from Salento who grew up with our grandparents; yet it is widespread in almost all of Europe, northern Asia, southern Africa, the American continent and Australia. We find it along roadsides, or in plots of land where there is seasonal weed care and cleaning. Legend has it that the king of Athens Theseus, before facing the Minotaur, ate it to draw courage and strength from it. In fact, thanks to the bitter substances contained in the latex, it has digestive and appetising powers, as well as being diuretic and depurative.
Cultivation and uses
The seeds are dispersed by wind and water and retain germination power for up to eight years. It is an annual species, flowering for most of the year; in fact, the summer season is the most suitable for collecting seeds for propagation. Sowing should be done in autumn or spring, ensuring daily watering.
The raw leaves help blood fluidity and the integrity of blood vessels, as well as having healing powers on colitis and gastro-intestinal inflammations. The roots can be roasted and provide a coffee substitute; appreciable amounts of inulin are present in them, making it suitable as a sweetener.
The already hardened plants, after being threshed to defibre them, were put into the washing water for black cloth, so that the dye would remain uniform. Reintroduced as a weed of many agricultural crops, grespino is an almost essential herb in mysticas. It is still very common to harvest the plant in uncultivated or tilled fields to be eaten as a cooked or raw vegetable (instead of salad), on its own or in misticanza, as its mineral salt and vitamin content is well known: it is also an excellent food for ruminants and for snail breeding.
Recipes:
Sautéed zanguni: Half-boil the netted and washed plants; drain and keep aside. Fry 100g bacon in olive oil over low heat, add 6-7 tomatoes, salt and chilli pepper; pour this sauce over the grespini and finish cooking. Serve hot with grated pecorino cheese. Or simply fry the boiled zanguni with sliced onion.
Salad with zanguni: Clean and wash the most tender and fleshy leaves, drain and chop them up as a salad. To taste, add sliced raw onion, oil, salt, vinegar and cherry tomatoes.
Where can you still find zanguni?
As a wild herb, it is not commonly found in supermarkets, but you can buy it at weekly market stalls or savour it in some of Salento’s local trattorias.
At ‘A Locanda tù Marchese’, we have an entire section of our menu dedicated to wild herbs, which we harvest in the fields of our farm, nectar, blanch and cut down, to have them available all year round. Certainly, savouring the typical wild herbs of Salento is a way to get closer to the land and its most original flavours, leaving behind stereotypical clichés.
Moreover, on our farm it is possible to participate in the harvesting of wild Salento herbs and learn how to recognise and cook them. Here is the link to our experiences in the countryside: https://lalocandatumarchese.com/laboratorio-in-campagna/
Text and technical info from ‘Erbe Spontanee salentine’ by Rita Accogli and Pietro Mendagli