Dead-Nettle
When I first began foraging in earnest (back before there were 100 foraging blogs and tiktoks), I lost a week of my life trying to figure out the difference between red dead-nettle and purple dead-nettle. Theyโre the same (and their flowers are, to my eyes, pink). I opt to just call the plant dead-nettle here, but to be clear: weโre talking about Lamium purpureum.
Dead-nettle is in the mint family, which may give you a sense of its herbaceous quality (and other botanical traits like its square stems and opposite leaves). The texture of its flower head and upper leaves is a touch hairy or velvety, but the young leaves in early spring look and feel quite similar to a peppermint leaf youโd find in a grocery store clamshell. Some people describe the flavor of dead-nettle as somewhat spicy or peppery and a touch nutty, which may be more true later in the season as the plant matures. It also has a subtle and unusual sweetness which is mostly present in the top tips of the flowers and young leaves. Most people notice its funky, even skunky pungency that is both earthy and herby. To be blunt, many foragers donโt prefer the taste of the raw leaves, but I still believe dead-nettle has its place in the Spring kitchen. Compared to common herbs, it is most similar to sage, and can be used similarly: usually a pot herb, sometimes in a dried herb blend, and occasionally a small raw leaf in a salad or garnish.
Dead-nettle is often relegated to medicinal uses like teas, tinctures, and skin salves, but youโll still find a few recipes that use their racy aroma and flavor. The fresh leaves appear in baked good recipes like purple dead-nettle buns and Melissa K Norrisโ purple dead-nettle rice bake. The Intrepid Eater has a recipe for purple dead-nettle deviled eggs where the leaves are mixed with artichoke hearts in the egg yolk mixture, then piped into the egg whites and topped with the tiny pink flowers. I also spotted a recipe for a blended dead-nettle soup, but I expect most eaters may find it too skunky for their palate; dead-nettle is best used conservatively.
I say this with love for the many people who have published dead-nettle pesto recipes: do not make a pesto. I understand the impulse to try to mask unusual tender herbs in a beloved green sauce, but the delicate and creamy flavors of basil, pine nuts, and parmesan become muddied by the funk of raw dead-nettle. If you canโt resist the urge to blend it into a sauce, pair it with more assertive and peppery ingredients, like in a zhug or a chimichurri.
This weekโs recipe (dead-nettle brown butter) may not be the most creative, but I do think itโs one of the best and most approachable culinary applications for this polarizing herb.
Find the Flavor
Find Dead-Nettle
โ Forage for it throughout North America
โ Ask a local gardener, forager, or herbalist to show you some!
โ Buy dried purple dead-nettle from a seller on eBay
I did find a few people selling fresh dead-nettle online, but the price was pretty outrageous - I didnโt feel comfortable linking it here. This one is worth harvesting yourself.
Find Dead-Nettle Products
โ Purple dead-nettle tea
โ Purple dead-nettle tincture
โ Purple dead-nettle skin salve
References & Resources
Info Sheet from Stewardship Centre for British Columbia
Brooklyn Botanic Garden article
Purple dead-nettle salve instructions from Outdoor Apothecary
Feral Foraging Video:
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