General
poke sallet
What does poke sallet mean?
A traditional Southern dish of young pokeweed leaves, boiled in several changes of water to remove their natural toxins.
"In spring we'd pick poke sallet down by the fence row."
Origin
"Poke" (pokeweed) plus "sallet," an old word for cooked greens/salad; a subsistence food of the rural South.
Frequently asked questions
What is poke sallet?
A traditional Southern dish of young pokeweed greens, boiled through several changes of water to remove their natural toxins.
Is poke sallet safe to eat?
Only when properly prepared; the raw plant is toxic, so the leaves must be young and boiled in multiple changes of water.
Why is it spelled sallet and not salad?
"Sallet" is an old word for cooked greens; the dish is boiled, not a raw salad.
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