Fireweed Leaf Quiche
Fireweed Leaf Quiche is a savory, custard-based tart featuring foraged fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) leaves, typically combined with eggs, cream, cheese, and sometimes onions or mushrooms. This dish is a forager's delight, popular in regions where fireweed is abundant, such as the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and parts of Canada and Northern Europe. It transforms a wild, edible green into a comforting, elegant meal.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This quiche is a balanced but rich dish, high in fat and protein from eggs, cream, and cheese, with moderate carbs from the crust. It provides a good source of vitamins A and K from the fireweed leaves, along with calcium and iron, and a typical slice contains roughly 350-450 calories.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 390 kcal |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Carbs | 22 g |
| Fat | 28 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 450 mg |
| Vitamin A | 250 IU |
| Vitamin K | 45 mcg |
| Calcium | 180 mg |
| Iron | 1.5 mg |
| Potassium | 200 mg |
| Vitamin C | 10 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.2 mg |
| Phosphorus | 150 mg |
Per 1 slice (approximately 150 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Fireweed is a resilient pioneer plant that famously colonizes areas after wildfires, making its use in a quiche a poetic celebration of regeneration. Nutritionally, the leaves are a wild superfood, exceptionally high in vitamins C and A, and contain beneficial flavonoids and tannins.
