Mache or lamb’s lettuce

Valerianella locusta is called mache, lamb’s salad but other names include also corn salad or common corn salad. This plant should not be confused with valeriana officinalis, in fact, although both plants belong to the Valerianaceae family, valerianella locusta is used as a delicate and tasty salad, the other one, valeriana officinalis, is used as a powerful herbal remedy with calming and sedative properties. Mache salad has tender and rounded leaves, it gives fibers, vitamins, such as vitamin A, group B, C, important to support the immune system, and mineral salts, such as iron, copper, potassium and magnesium, the last element very important in order to promote the proper functionality of the metabolism but also of the nervous system, of the muscles and to counteract tiredness. Since it belongs to the valerianaceae family the plant has also a sedative action, for this reason mache salad is the ideal salad that can be eaten in the evening. Mache contains also folic acid, chlorophyll, has detox, digestive, laxative and diuretic properties, it stimulates the activity of the liver, of the kidneys and of the bowel, finally it is a low calorie food, 20 kilocal in 100 grams. In order to get maximum benefit form mache it is better to eat the salad raw, because cooking can remove most of the important benefits, you can dress it with a little oil and the juice of a lemon. Mache is very digestible and can be eaten also by those people who suffer from gastric problems or don’t digest salad.