Cresson du Brésil Rouge Bio - Bredy Mafana - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

The Bredy Mafana Rouge is an aromatic and condimental oleraceous plant with a pungent flavour and surprising anaesthetic properties! This is a small vegetable curiosity whose leaves and flowers can be consumed fresh or dried, in dishes with bold flavours like Romazava, the traditional Malagasy dish. It is an exotic plant well acclimatised to our climate, which can be sown from April to July.

Native to South America and belonging to the Asteraceae family, Bredy mafana (Spilanthes oleracea in Latin) is also known as Brède mafane, Para Cress, or Brazilian Cress.

This is an annual herbaceous plant with a spreading habit, reaching approximately 15 cm in height and 20 cm in width. It develops medium-green foliage composed of slightly dentate, oblong leaves that are highly aromatic. Its edible flowers appear from August to October, taking the form of conical pompons, yellow tinged with red.

In cooking, Para Cress is an essential ingredient in Ramazava, the national dish of Madagascar. It can be used raw or cooked in many exotic dishes and offers a pungent, peppery flavour (in Malagasy, "bredy mafana" translates literally to "hot herb") as well as a brief anaesthetic effect that may surprise you! The flowers can also be eaten but sparingly, as their taste and effect are very pronounced.

In the garden, plant it in full sun, in rich, well-draining soil. Although well acclimatised, Brazilian Cress has a few requirements: it cannot tolerate cold, drought... nor waterlogged soils. Growing it in pots or containers is possible, even advisable.

Harvesting: This occurs around 60 days after sowing. The leaves are picked as needed when the flower buds begin to open. By cutting the stems, you encourage the growth of new shoots.

Storage: The leaves are best consumed a few hours after harvesting. However, they can be kept in the fridge for a few days, wrapped in a damp cloth. You can also dry them to enjoy throughout the year.

The gardener's tip: To minimise weeding, we recommend mulching the soil with thin, successive layers of grass clippings, ideally mixed with dead leaves, once the plant is well established. This protective layer helps retain soil moisture and reduces the need for watering.

The organic or "AB" seeds come from plants grown without phytosanitary products (insecticides, herbicides). These seeds also undergo no post-harvest treatment. They carry the AB label and are certified by Ecocert, an independent organisation.