pictured: sea asparagus, known as Salicornia virginica and samphire

“It’s beautiful, wild, good for you, and that taste? Oh my God!” Mirjana, of Mirjana’s in Dragon Alley, is describing sea asparagus with her characteristic charm, a mixture of glee and reference.

Salicornia virginica, or sea asparagus, looks like delicate miniature asparagus but belongs to the halophyte family, known for its ability to thrive in saline environments. Teeming with nutrients, and beloved for its crisp crunch, Salicornia is also unbearably salty unless soaked in cold water. The unmasked flavour Mirjana describes as a “mild lemongrass.” She never cooks sea asparagus but sautés it quickly in a hot dry pan (no oil) for mere seconds, often pairing it with roasted beet pasta.

Brad Carey of Westcoast Seaweed lauds sea asparagus as “natural, exciting and sustainable.” It is a provincially licensed plant, though families may gather it for their personal use. Brad hand-harvests and carries it pre-blanched frozen—or pickled year round. “The flavour is not affected (by the freezing process), but it does rob the sea asparagus of its crunch, which is a popular characteristic so it is mostly used as garnish for seafood dishes.” 

Ground up, sea asparagus yields a high protein meal, and Carl Hodges, a Tucson-based atmospheric physicist, is even making biofuel from this green super-food. It seems there is nothing this tender stalk does not provide. 

So where can you find sea asparagus? If you are keen to wildcraft (forage for wild food), Moody Bay on Salt Spring Island, the Sooke Basin and Towner Park are all solid bets during June and July. And if you just want to sample without the mission? Westcoast Seaweed Inc, Finest at Sea, and perhaps in a dish or two at Mirjana’s when sea asparagus is in season will do quite well.  

Westcoast Seaweed Inc., 3140 Cook St., 250-812-6691

Mirjana’s, 532 Fisgard Unit 10, Dragon Alley, Lunch Mon-Sat 12-3

Finest at Sea, 27 Erie St., 250-383-7760