Do you know the Stridoli? The name stridolo or strigolo if you prefer, derives from the fact that, by rubbing the leaves between two fingers, they “screech”.
Strigoli are a spontaneous, edible and perennial herb that grows far and wide throughout the boot and can be harvested above all on calcareous soils that are not very fertile and not excessively grassed. The name strigoli or stridoli derives from the fact that when squeezed between the fingers, the stems of this plant emit a particular screech, a noise produced by the friction of the rubbing of the plant parts. This herb has been known since ancient times for its good flavor and interesting nutritional and medicinal properties.
Romagna, a land rich in traditions, also boasts an ancient rite that characterized the peasant families of the past. In the past, perhaps during a sunny spring day, we all left together for the countryside to collect common or spontaneous herbs which, in addition to being a useful remedy for small daily ailments, were the basis of some typical dishes.
The grandmothers of Romagna have handed down an almost exact knowledge of herbs over the years, in addition to the use that can be made of them in the kitchen. And this is how, even today, we can find dishes based on country herbs on our tables. It is a small perennial plant that can be found here in Romagna from May to October, near waterways or in the hills. Much appreciated in the kitchen, stridoli are eaten raw and mixed with salads, or cooked, in omelettes, in fillings for pasta and as a base for dressings.
BENEFICIAL PROPERTIES
Although the strigolo is a very ancient edible plant, its lack of marketing (it is a spontaneous herb not cultivated) has made the amount of studies available about its nutritional and medicinal properties more thorough. While the nutritional properties of cultivated vegetables are well known and the species most used in phytotherapy (valerian, calendula …) all the medicinal properties are known, little is known about strigoli.
Regarding the nutritional properties, we can tell you that they bring a good content of Vitamin C, recent studies have highlighted a high quantity of mineral salts and phenols, antioxidant compounds useful for health: the content of these micronutrients is higher than that detected. in spinach.
Another study on the nutritional properties of strigoli reports these values:
Water 88%
Lipids 0.6 – 0.8%
Fiber 3.1 – 3.5%
Available carbohydrates 3.9%
Protein 3.6%
Among the fatty acids we point out the presence of oleic, linoleic, linolenic, erucic, palmitic and stearic acids. As for the medicinal properties, the only known information is that the extracts of this plant are extremely emollient. For this reason, the Silene vulgaris species is widely used for the production of certain skin soaps. In the past and even today, preparations based on stridoli are used to treat ophthalmias (eye diseases).
