Sea Asparagus

Wholesale Sea Asparagus (Salicornia)

Sea asparagus goes by more names than almost anything in produce: salicornia, sea beans, samphire, glasswort, pickleweed. It is not asparagus and not a bean — it is a succulent coastal plant that grows in salt marshes and tidal flats, and it arrives already seasoned by the water it grew in.

Where to Buy Sea Asparagus

It is a genuinely hard item to find, which is why most people searching for it end up on a distributor page rather than in a store. We supply it wholesale to restaurants, seafood programs and specialty retail, out of Miami and Los Angeles, with nationwide shipping. Availability is seasonal and volumes are limited, so it is worth asking early rather than assuming.

What It Tastes Like

Salty first, then green and mineral, with a snap like a very thin green bean and a slightly fibrous core in larger stems. The saltiness is not seasoning — it is sodium the plant has taken up from seawater, and it means a dish built around sea asparagus usually needs no added salt at all.

Selection and Storage

Look for bright green, firm, plump stems with no yellowing, sliminess or dark soft spots. Thinner stems are more tender; thick ones develop a woody inner filament that should be stripped by pulling the flesh off with your teeth or a fork. Hold at 34–38°F, wrapped, and use within four to seven days.

In the Kitchen

Blanch briefly — thirty to sixty seconds — and shock, which softens the texture and pulls out excess salt. Then sauté in butter with garlic, toss raw into salads, pickle it, or serve it alongside fish and shellfish, where it belongs more naturally than almost any other green. It also fries well in tempura. Do not salt the cooking water and taste before seasoning anything it touches.

Nutrition

Sea asparagus is low in calories, provides fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, iodine and minerals, and is naturally high in sodium — worth knowing for sodium-restricted menus. Fat free and cholesterol free.

Order Sea Asparagus Wholesale

Tell us your volume, pack and delivery city and we will confirm current availability, sizing and pricing. Reach our Miami or Los Angeles desk through the contact page. Packs, counts and origins change with the season, so ask our sales team for this week’s specs.