sell g'machts Goutweed & Cress Pesto. Fiery-fresh wild herb pesto made with 26 percent wild-harvested goutweed and cress with garlic and chili – cold-stirred in the Allgäu, vegan.

sell g'machts Goutweed & Cress Pesto is a wild herb pesto made from organic olive oil, 26 percent wild-harvested goutweed, white wine vinegar, 6 percent cress, and sunflower seeds, seasoned with rock salt, garlic, chili, and pepper. Katja Will and her team stir it by hand and cold-process it in Weiler in the Allgäu, 110g per jar. No cheese, no nuts, no heat treatment – a vegan pesto in raw food quality with a kick of heat.

Goutweed & Cress Pesto by sell g'machts is the spicy variety among the Allgäu herb pestos and the one furthest from basil. Most people know goutweed as a stubborn garden weed, but it is actually an ancient wild vegetable. For this pesto, it is wild-harvested and stirred cold with olive oil, sunflower seeds, and white wine vinegar. Cress adds a peppery freshness, while garlic and chili provide the heat. The manufacturer describes it as fiery-fresh and pure freshness in a jar, intended for everyone who likes it a little spicier.

Green and wild from goutweed, peppery from cress, spicy from chili and garlic

When opened, the pesto smells green, herbaceous, and slightly of garlic. On the palate, the goutweed comes through first, reminiscent of parsley, with a slightly savory, almost carrot-like note. The cress adds a peppery freshness on top, then the garlic and chili make themselves known: a heat that is distinct but remains balanced. The sunflower seeds soften it, the white wine vinegar keeps the pesto fresh, and the olive oil rounds it out.

Especially in summer, it tastes wonderfully fresh according to the manufacturer, and it is recommended for every season. Those who prefer something mild can opt for the Organic Basil & Lemon Balm Pesto from the same kitchen. Those who want garlic without chili should try the Organic Wild Garlic Pesto, the second wild-harvest variety from Weiler.

For pasta, on bread, in salads, and scrambled eggs

Pasta first. Cook spaghetti, penne, or tagliatelle, fold in two tablespoons of pesto per serving, add a splash of pasta water, only after cooking. This keeps the green color intact. It goes just as well with gnocchi, rice, jacket potatoes, and vegetables; a spoonful in scrambled eggs adds herbs and heat to breakfast.

On a slice of baguette, ciabatta, or whole-grain bread with a small salad on the side, the manufacturer suggests it as a light summer meal. Spread thinly on a pancake or crêpe, rolled up and sliced, it also works well for salads. Once opened, the jar belongs in the refrigerator and should be used within 14 days, according to the manufacturer.

Our tip: A teaspoon of pesto mixed with two tablespoons of yogurt or cream cheese makes a spicy herb dip for baked potatoes and vegetable sticks, which softens the heat slightly.

Wild-harvested in the Allgäu, cold-stirred in Weiler

The goutweed for this pesto comes from their own wild harvesting, as stated by sell g'machts, and the cress from regional organic farms. Because the goutweed grows in the wild, the manufacturer specifies the organic content of the ingredients at 72 percent. It is processed in the sell g'machts kitchen in Weiler in the Allgäu, by hand and without heat treatment, usually the day after harvesting. "sell g'macht" means "self-made" in the Allgäu dialect.

The extra virgin organic olive oil and white wine vinegar come from Byodo, the sunflower seeds from Rapunzel in Legau in the Allgäu, and the rock salt from Bickelbacher. The manufactory avoids additives and preservatives; the ingredients alone provide the flavor. The organic control number DE-ÖKO-006 is on the label. Since December 2022, there has been a factory shop directly at the kitchen where you can sample all the varieties.

For everyone who likes it spicier, and for fans of wild herbs

The Goutweed & Cress Pesto is the jar for people looking for heat and wild herbs in a pesto. It fits into summer cooking with salad and bread and into Sunday scrambled eggs. You can find all the manufactory's jars on our sell-g'machts page, and other pestos from different manufacturers in the Pesto category. According to the manufacturer, the list of ingredients is free from cheese, nuts, and other mandatory allergens; the seeds are sunflower seeds, and the pesto is vegan. It is not suitable for sensitive palates and children who avoid chili – for that, there is the mild basil variety.

Wild-harvested goutweed, cress, garlic, and chili from the Allgäu, cold-stirred and vegan – the spicy wild herb pesto for pasta, bread, and scrambled eggs.