Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

iceplant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, one of the better-known edible members of a group of succulent plants, with fleshy leaves, from the tropical regions of the southern hemisphere. The leaves of the iceplant are covered with silvery spots resembling frost, and have a pleasantly acid flavour. The plant was introduced to Europe and N. America in the 18th century as a substitute for spinach, capable of resisting very hot weather. It was not successful in that role, but flowering garden species of Mesembryanthemum remain popular.