Microgreen Flavor Profiles
Current Chef’s Catalog
Arugula
A distinct spicy, sharp bite, and even more so as a microgreen, arugula is peppery and a bit nutty, featuring purple stems and dark green, heart-shaped leaves. It’s from the same family as mustard greens and is a native staple to Mediterranean countries and cuisines including Italy and Greece. Mixes well with salad greens, used in pesto, on sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, or topping soups, creamy dishes, rich with cheese.
Rainbow Sprinkle
Visually favored by chefs, these bright and cheerful green and purple greens, with mellow, earthy flavored Chard (flavor between spinach and beets) and mild flavored Beet mix offer a mild taste and are very versatile in the kitchen. Excellent served raw as a garnish for appetizers or main dishes, they can be sprinkled on top of meat, in salads, roasted veggies, on sandwiches, soups, stew, curry, stir-fry. Pairs well with seafood, all kinds of meats, and fruits like strawberries, apples, persimmons, blueberries, and peaches, fruit smoothies.
Confetti
Ultimate plate appeal with a vibrant, mildly spicy blend of red, purple, and pink stems with purple and green radish leaves, these microgreens are not only delicious, but a nutritional powerhouse. Flavor enhancers for egg dishes such as breakfast burritos, a kick added to watermelon salad, spring rolls, Ahi poke, burgers, chicken or tuna salad, sauces or where a touch of spice is desired.
Spicy Mustard
Colorful red and green, tender and crispy plants offer a spicy mustard flavor, think horseradish/wasabi, adding a burst of flavor with a crunchy texture. Robust, peppery taste likened to full grown mustard greens and even a bit like radish. String bean and mustard green stir fry is a must try! Combine with other milder greens for salad or sauté, add to recipes that have intense flavors such as garlic or chili peppers. A zing of flavor on meats, sandwiches or wherever you use mustard or when combining sweet and savory, try them with sweet summer fruits.
Mizuna
Bright green, but fancy, toothed, angular leaves deliver exceptional taste. Mild and tangy, bittersweet, green flavor with subtle hints of pepper and mustard, Mizuna provides chefs with many edible applications and visual interest. Use as a garnish for roasted meats, Asian and Thai recipes, over pasta, risotto, with cheeses, such as goat cheese drizzled with honey, or pairs well with omelets and frittatas.
Bull’s Blood Beet
These slender greens with elongated, oval leaves have a dark red to magenta color which offers beauty to any plate and a sweet earthy flavor of beets, suitable for a wide variety of culinary dishes. We recommend these for robust, hearty dishes but also will bring life into lighter fare. Best suited eaten raw, but can be added at the end of preparations to avoid wilting. Topping avocado toast, tossed with roasted root vegetables, accentuating salad greens, grain bowls, or stirred into creamy pasta dishes, or curries, these greens further enhance a variety of dishes.
Cilantro
An aromatic, versatile microgreen that brings a bold, fresh coriander flavor often described as citrusy, herbal or lemony, and even slightly peppery that comes from a delicate, vibrant green, feathery leaf that resembles the mature plant, but on a smaller scale. Soups, curries, salads, and fresh salsas, tacos and Mexican dishes, Indian and Asian cuisine all benefit from this superfood addition. We love them in shrimp or fish ceviche and even green or fruit smoothies.
Italian Basil
Favored by many and called “the herb of kings” by Ancient Greeks and known as a token of love by the Italians, nutrient dense Italian basil microgreens bring enormous health benefits, abundant flavor and a more delicate visual than chopped, full-sized basil leaves. Described as a classic fresh, slightly sweet taste with a hint of anise, these microgreens elevate and pair well with anything from classic Italian dishes such as lasagna, pesto, marinara sauce dishes to salads, wraps, juices and smoothies, pizza, soup, teas, sandwiches, meats, eggs and more. Add to hot dishes at the very end of the cooking process in order to protect its flavor.
Chard Mix
Intriguing flavor in addition to the lovely yellow and pink colors come from the Chard mix microgreens. Described as mellow and earthy, a flavor between spinach and beets, but sweeter than beets, their crunchy texture and slightly salty, slightly bitter taste make them good choices for quiche, salads, wraps, sandwiches, smoothies, or cooked steamed or sautéed as a side dish.