with them the technology of forest glass, the greenish glass that used potash from wood ashes as a flux. The Venetian glassmakers brought with them the technology of cristallo, the immaculately clear glass that used soda ash as a flux. These glassmakers would have recognized Salicornia europaea growing in England as a source for soda ash. Prior to their arrival, it was said that the plant "hath no name in English". By the 18th century, Spain had an enormous industry producing soda ash from saltworts; the soda ash from this source was known as barrilla. Scotland had a large 18th-century industry producing soda ash from seaweed. The source of this ash was kelp. This industry was so lucrative that it led to overpopulation in the Western Isles of Scotland, and one estimate is that 100,000 people were occupied with "kelping" during the summer months. In the same period, soda ash (la soude de Narbonne) was produced in quantity from glasswort proper around Narbonne, France. The commercialization of the Leblanc process for synthesizing sodium carbonate (from salt, limestone, and sulfuric acid) brought an end to the era of farming for soda ash in the first half of the 19th century. Culinary uses Young shoots of Salicornia europaea are tender and can be eaten raw as a salad: glasswort salad or samphire salad (). This salad is a part of Turkish cuisine, also made with lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. It is commonly served as a meze. The shoots can also be pickled. The plant can further be prepared in several ways – cooked, steamed, or stir fried – and eaten as a vegetable dish. Glasswort species Plants that have been called glassworts include: Arthroceras subterminale (Parish's glasswort) Eriogonum salicornioides (glasswort buckwheat) Species in the genus Salicornia (glasswort or jointed glasswort): Salicornia bigelovii (dwarf glasswort) Salicornia blackiana (thick-head glasswort) Salicornia europaea (common glasswort or marsh samphire) Salicornia maritima (slender glasswort) Salicornia pacifica (Pacific glasswort) Salicornia perennis (perennial glasswort) Salicornia quinqueflora (beaded glasswort) Salicornia ramosissima (purple glasswort) Salicornia virginica (American, Virginia or woody glasswort) Salsola kali (prickly glasswort) Tecticornia: Tecticornia arbuscula (shrubby glasswort) Tecticornia flabelliformis (bead glasswort) Tecticornia pergranulata (blackseed glasswort) References Halophytes Edible plants Glass chemistry History of glass Industrial history Barilla plants ca:Salicorn de:Queller fr:Salicorne nl:Zeekraal pl:Soliród pt:Salicornia