An old English name for a plant (Smyrnium olusatrum) with edible roots similar to parsnips, popular in medieval cuisine.
From Old French 'alisandre,' derived from Greek 'Alexandrion' meaning 'of Alexandria,' as the plant was believed to come from Alexandria, Egypt. Medieval cooks prized it highly.
Medieval feasts featured alisanders as a luxury vegetable because it arrived on spice trading routes from the Mediterranean—it was basically the exotic superfood of the 1300s before it disappeared from European gardens.
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