# What herb is translated from Dutch to English as "nettle"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 2, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083 "2010-05-02T23:34:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/1 "2010-05-02T23:34:39Z")
I recently visited the Netherlands and purchased some cheese that contains some herbs. We asked the proprietor what it contains and she replied (in English) “nettle.” What herb would that be? Normally I would think of “thistle” but that is not something that is normally eaten. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/2 "2010-05-02T23:36:41Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > I recently visited the Netherlands and purchased some cheese that contains some herbs. We asked the proprietor what it contains and she replied (in English) “nettle.” What herb would that be? Normally I would think of “thistle” but that is not something that is normally eaten. What about nettle? It’s commonly eaten. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/3 "2010-05-02T23:42:24Z")
Common garden stinging nettle. Makes nice soup. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/4 "2010-05-02T23:59:15Z")
Herb? The Netherlands? Only one thing comes to mind… ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/5 "2010-05-03T00:11:52Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Herb? The Netherlands? > > Only one thing comes to mind… Oddly enough “that one thing” was once considered to be a member of the nettle family, along with the hop _Lupulus_, to which it still is considered to be a close relative. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/6 "2010-05-03T00:15:41Z")
[Gouda Cheese with Stinging Nettles](http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--38676/gouda-cheese-with-stinging-nettles.asp) is apparently common enough to get an entry in the linked glossary of foods. See also [yarg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarg). It makes me inordinately happy to have discovered that “yarg” is a real word. ---
**Author:** ![kjbrasda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/74df32/32.png) [@kjbrasda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjbrasda)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/7 "2010-05-03T02:26:10Z")
To be specific, young nettle plants, the tender leaves from the upper part of the plant. Heat destroys the stinging compounds. A 10 minute soak in warm water, then simmered 10 minutes in fresh water is enough to make them safe to eat. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/8 "2010-05-03T02:34:48Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > Normally I would think of “thistle” but that is not something that is normally eaten. Artichokes, which are normally eaten, are thistles. . . although I doubt they would be incorporated into cheese. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/9 "2010-05-03T04:11:07Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > [Gouda Cheese with Stinging Nettles](http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--38676/gouda-cheese-with-stinging-nettles.asp) is apparently common enough to get an entry in the linked glossary of foods. See also [yarg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarg). > > It makes me inordinately happy to have discovered that “yarg” is a real word. I too, equally amazed and jovial, upon finding the [Cheesewring](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheesewring)! ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/10 "2010-05-03T12:29:57Z")
Thanks everyone, and yes it was Gouda cheese! I never knew that nettles could be eaten! ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/11 "2010-05-03T15:54:54Z")
I actually bought a burnt nettle gouda cheese this weekend, in Minnesota. The nettles don’t add a flavor that jumps out at me. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-herb-is-translated-from-dutch-to-english-as-nettle/538083/12 "2010-05-03T16:59:42Z")
(By the way, the Dutch word that translates into English as “nettle” is actually the nearly identical-sounding cognate “netel”, so there’s not much chance of mixing up what herb you’re talking about.)