What is the vegetable that tastes like fish?

November 13, 2025 •

4 min read

Houttuynia cordata, more commonly known as fish mint, is a herbaceous plant native to Southeast Asia with a notoriously strong, fish-like flavor. For those exploring new culinary sensations or seeking vegan alternatives to seafood, the quest for a vegetable that tastes like fish is an intriguing one. The answer, however, goes beyond just a single plant and includes several candidates with distinct flavor profiles.

Quick Summary

Several plants exhibit fish-like flavors, most notably Houttuynia cordata, also known as fish mint. Other examples include salsify, which can taste like oysters, and coastal plants like samphire, which have a salty, oceanic essence.

Key Points

Fish Mint (Houttuynia cordata): This Southeast Asian herb is the most direct answer, possessing a strong, raw fish-like taste and smell.
Salsify ('Oyster Plant'): A root vegetable that, when cooked, has a mild, nutty flavor reminiscent of oysters.
Samphire (Sea Beans): This coastal plant has a natural salinity and oceanic flavor due to its high salt content, perfect for pairing with seafood.
External Factors: Sometimes, a fishy taste can result from cross-contamination, the type of cooking oil used, or even an individual's unique taste perception.
Culinary Alternatives: Vegan and vegetarian recipes often use sea vegetables like seaweed and kelp to achieve a fish-like umami flavor.
Flavor Variation: The intensity and type of fish-like flavor differ significantly between these plants, from pungent and fishy in fish mint to salty and oceanic in samphire.
Cooking Matters: Proper preparation and cooking methods are crucial for controlling the flavor, especially with highly-flavored plants like fish mint and naturally salty samphire.

The Primary Candidate: Fish Mint (Houttuynia cordata)

For many people in Southeast Asia, the answer to the question "What is the vegetable that tastes like fish?" is unambiguously Houttuynia cordata, or fish mint. This perennial herb is renowned for its heart-shaped leaves and edible rhizomes, which carry a strong, pungent flavor often described as fishy. This distinct aroma and taste are due to specific chemical compounds within the plant, and while it's a staple in certain regional cuisines, its powerful profile can be off-putting to those unaccustomed to it.

Culinary Uses of Fish Mint

Despite its challenging reputation, fish mint is a versatile ingredient in many dishes, where its unique flavor is used to complement other ingredients rather than overpower them. In Vietnamese cuisine, it's known as diếp cá and often served fresh as a garnish with grilled meat or noodle salads. In parts of southwestern China, both the leaves and the roots (known as zhé'ěrgēn) are consumed, often raw in cold salads tossed with vinegar and chili, or fried with cured pork belly. The flavor can also be mellowed when brewed into a tea.

The Oyster-Mimicking Root: Salsify

Another notable entry in the world of seafood-mimicking vegetables is salsify, a root vegetable from the dandelion family. Salsify is famously known as the "oyster plant" because of its subtle, oyster-like flavor when cooked. This makes it a popular choice for chefs and home cooks looking to introduce a seafood-like taste and texture to vegetarian dishes. Salsify's appearance is similar to a parsnip, with a creamy white flesh that can be boiled, mashed, or sautéed.

Preparing and Cooking Salsify

To get the best results from salsify, it's recommended to scrub and peel the root before cooking. It can then be simmered until tender and sautéed in butter to enhance its delicate flavor. Some traditional recipes involve coating sliced, pre-cooked salsify in batter and frying it, further highlighting its resemblance to seafood.

The Oceanic Coastal Plant: Samphire

Growing along coastlines, marshes, and salty mudflats, samphire (also known as sea beans or sea asparagus) offers another taste of the sea. This succulent sea vegetable has a naturally salty flavor and a crisp texture, making it a perfect accompaniment for fish and seafood dishes. Unlike fish mint, its flavor is more clean and oceanic, resulting directly from the salty environment in which it grows.

Cooking with Samphire

Samphire is easy to prepare and cook. A thorough rinse is necessary to remove any grit, and due to its high salt content, no extra salt is needed during cooking. It can be blanched for a few minutes and tossed with butter or olive oil, or used raw in salads for an extra salty bite.

Other Factors Influencing a 'Fishy' Taste

Sometimes, a fishy flavor in a vegetable can be a result of external factors rather than the vegetable's inherent properties. Here are some examples:

Cross-Contamination: If vegetables are stored near fish in the refrigerator or prepared using the same utensils without proper cleaning, they can absorb the fish's odor and taste.
Cooking Oil: Some Reddit users report that cooking vegetables like zucchini in certain oils, such as canola or avocado oil, can result in an off-putting fishy flavor.
Flavoring Agents: In vegan cooking, ingredients like seaweed (e.g., kelp, nori) and miso are often used to intentionally replicate the umami and salty taste of the ocean, which can mimic a fishy flavor.
Personal Perception: Taste is subjective, and some individuals may perceive certain vegetable flavors, like the distinct taste of eggplant or zucchini, as fishy, even though most people do not.

Comparing Fishy-Tasting Vegetables


Feature	Fish Mint (Houttuynia cordata)	Salsify ('Oyster Plant')	Samphire ('Sea Asparagus')
Flavor Profile	Strong, pungent, raw fish-like.	Mild, nutty, subtle oyster-like when cooked.	Clean, salty, oceanic, and reminiscent of the seaside.
Texture	Soft leaves and crunchy rhizomes.	Creamy white, similar to a parsnip.	Crisp, succulent, and finger-like.
Origin	Southeast Asia (Vietnamese, Chinese cuisine).	Europe and Asia.	Coastal marshes and mudflats worldwide.
Preparation	Often eaten raw or lightly cooked.	Scraped, peeled, then boiled, mashed, or fried.	Rinsed, blanched, or sautéed. Avoid adding salt.
Primary Use	Garnish, salads, stir-fries, tea.	Soups, stews, sautés, vegan seafood alternatives.	Accompaniment for fish, salads, garnishes.

Conclusion: Finding the Right Fish-like Flavor

While fish mint is the most direct answer for a vegetable that naturally tastes like fish, it's not the only plant that can offer a seafood-like experience. Salsify provides a more delicate, oyster-like note, and samphire delivers a straightforward, oceanic salinity. For those looking to avoid seafood entirely, the nuanced flavors of these plants offer a fascinating and delicious alternative. By understanding the distinct profiles of these unique vegetables and the cooking methods that bring out their best, you can explore a new dimension of flavor in your culinary adventures. To dive deeper into the world of coastal vegetables, consider exploring more on the topic from authoritative culinary sources like the James Beard Foundation, which provides excellent insights into sea beans.(https://www.jamesbeard.org/stories/eat-this-word-sea-beans)

Further Exploration

Experiment with recipes: Try a traditional Vietnamese dish with fish mint, a cream of salsify soup, or simply blanched samphire with a lemon and butter sauce.
Investigate flavor compounds: For the scientifically curious, research the specific chemical compounds in fish mint that cause its unique smell and taste.
Taste regional variations: The taste of fish mint can vary depending on its region of origin. Try to find sources from different areas to compare the intensity of the flavor.

The Role of Sea Vegetables

Seaweed, kelp, and other sea vegetables are also key players in replicating seafood flavors in vegan and vegetarian cooking. Their natural saltiness and umami-rich profiles make them excellent additions to broths, sauces, and seafood-inspired dishes. These are not typically considered land vegetables, but they are a vital part of the fish-free, seafood-flavored culinary landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

The plant most famously known for tasting like fish is Houttuynia cordata, also called fish mint. It has a very strong, pungent flavor that is often described as fishy, especially when raw.

Yes, fish mint is an edible herbaceous perennial plant used as a vegetable and herb in many Southeast Asian cuisines.

Salsify is a root vegetable known as the 'oyster plant' because it develops a subtle oyster-like flavor when cooked. It is similar in appearance to a parsnip.

Samphire has a naturally salty, oceanic flavor and a crisp texture. It's often compared to asparagus with a hint of seaweed, and its flavor is derived from the salty soil in which it grows.

Yes, it is possible for vegetables to absorb the odor and taste of fish if they are stored together or handled with the same unwashed utensils.

Some people report that zucchini, especially when cooked with certain oils like canola or avocado, can sometimes take on a fishy flavor due to the interaction between the oil and the vegetable.

Vegans often use sea vegetables like seaweed, kelp, and miso to add a salty, umami-rich, and fishy flavor to dishes. Mushrooms, particularly king oyster mushrooms, are also used to mimic seafood texture.

Yes, marsh samphire is the more commonly eaten variety with a fresh, salty flavor, while rock samphire can have a stronger, more unpleasant flavor. Marsh samphire is also called sea asparagus.