(1657), "It is called Shepherd's purse or Scrip (wallet) from the likeness of the seed hath with that kind of leathearne bag, wherein Shepherds carry their Victualls [food and drink] into the field." In England and Scotland, it was once commonly called 'mother's heart', from which was derived a child's game/trick of picking the seed pod, which then would burst and the child would be accused of 'breaking his mother's heart'. Uses Capsella bursa-pastoris gathered from the wild or cultivated has many uses, including for food, to supplement animal feed, for cosmetics, and in traditional medicine—reportedly to stop bleeding. The plant can be eaten raw; the leaves are best when gathered young. Native Americans ground it into a meal and made a beverage from it. Cooking It is cultivated as a commercial food crop in Asia. In China, where it is known as jìcài (; ) it is commonly used in food in Shanghai and the surrounding Jiangnan region. The savory leaf is stir-fried with rice cakes and other ingredients or as part of the filling in wontons. It is one of the ingredients of the symbolic dish consumed in the Japanese spring-time festival, Nanakusa-no-sekku. In Korea, it is known as naengi () and used as a root vegetable in the characteristic Korean dish, namul (fresh greens and wild vegetables). Shepherd's purse was used as a pepper substitute in colonial New England. Chemistry Fumaric acid is one chemical substance that has been isolated from C. bursa-pastoris. Parasites Parasites of this plant include: White rust Albugo candida One species of downy mildew Hyaloperonospora parasitica Phoma herbarum References External links Mrs. M. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Shepherd's Purse bursa-pastoris Carnivorous plants of Europe Cosmopolitan species Ruderal species Edible plants Asian vegetables Medicinal plants of Asia Medicinal plants of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Plants used in Native American cuisine