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Glossary
WaterblommetjiesWaterblommetjie is also known as wateruintjie (water onion) or vleikos in Afrikaans, and Cape hawthorn, Cape pondweed, and Cape asparagus in English. It’s indigenous to SA and peculiar to the Western Cape
The flowers have a scaly formation and must be washed (preferably soaked in salty water) to remove the sand lodging within the scales, as well as any bugs or snails.
The first tender blommetjies require a much lighter touch than their more robust older sisters The sweet-smelling flowers can be made into a succulent traditional Cape waterblommetjie bredie (stew) or chopped fresh into salads.
They make a delicious vegetarian meal steamed and served with lemon aioli and crusty bread, or stirred into a risotto with chopped chillies.
One can also pickle the waterblommetjies or make a delicious soup of the chopped up flowers and stems.
The whole plant is high in minerals and vitamins, and the root is also edible.
The stems with their high juice content make soothing treatments for burns and scrapes and take the pain out of sunburn, if the juice is applied every hour until the redness fades.