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Sorrel is a leafy herb in the genus Rumex, prized for a sharp, lemony sourness. The kinds cooks meet most often are garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and French sorrel (Rumex scutatus), while sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) grows wild as a lawn weed. Along with that sour taste, sorrel contains oxalic acid, and case reports describe serious poisoning from very large amounts of related plants. USDA SR Legacy has no entry named sorrel, so this guide uses the closest USDA entry, dock, and labels it clearly. One naming note first: in Jamaica, “sorrel” usually means a red drink made from roselle, a hibiscus, which is a different plant covered in our hibiscus tea guide. This article is about the sorrel herb.
Peptide Labs does not sell sorrel or sorrel products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Sorrel is a lemony leafy herb in the genus Rumex; garden sorrel and French sorrel are the common culinary kinds.
- USDA SR Legacy has no sorrel entry; its nearest entry, raw dock (FDC 170076), lists 22 calories, 48 milligrams of vitamin C (53% of the Daily Value) and 103 milligrams of magnesium per 100 g.
- Sorrel contains oxalic acid, and a University of California garden column advises eating only a small amount at a time.
- A 1989 Lancet report described a fatal oxalic acid poisoning from sorrel soup, and a 1990 report a fatal poisoning from curled dock.
- In Jamaica, sorrel usually means a drink made from roselle, which is a different plant.
- People who have had calcium oxalate kidney stones, or who have kidney disease, should ask a clinician before eating sorrel.
What is sorrel?
Sorrel is the name for several Rumex species grown or gathered for their tart leaves. French sorrel, Rumex scutatus, is a perennial native to the Mediterranean that grows as a low rosette, according to a 2023 University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) garden column. The column describes the flavor as lemony and tart, with a lettuce-like texture, and says the smaller, newer leaves taste better. Garden sorrel, Rumex acetosa, grows worldwide, and a 2019 review in the South African Journal of Botany notes that many cultures eat its leaves as a vegetable.
Sheep sorrel, Rumex acetosella, is the common wild relative. The NC State Extension plant database places it in the family Polygonaceae, native to Eurasia and the British Isles, with arrow-shaped leaves that have two lobes at the base and a tart, lemony flavor. Its other common names include field sorrel, red sorrel and sour weed. Dock is the common name used for other Rumex plants, such as curly dock (Rumex crispus), which matters for the USDA data below.
Sorrel the herb vs sorrel the Caribbean drink
Search for sorrel recipes with a Jamaican connection and you will mostly find a deep red holiday drink. That sorrel is roselle, a hibiscus species. Julia Morton’s reference book Fruits of Warm Climates lists Jamaica sorrel, Indian sorrel, Guinea sorrel and red sorrel among roselle’s common names, and describes a traditional Jamaican Christmas drink made by steeping roselle with a little grated ginger and sugar in boiling water overnight. Roselle is not a Rumex plant, so its nutrition and safety facts are different; our hibiscus tea guide covers it. To add to the confusion, red sorrel is also a name for wild sheep sorrel.
Sorrel nutrition: the nearest USDA entry
USDA SR Legacy has no entry named sorrel. The closest entries are Dock, raw (FDC 170076) and Dock, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (FDC 170077). USDA does not name the dock species, so read these values as an approximation for sorrel rather than exact sorrel numbers. Per-cup values use USDA’s portion weight of 133 g for a cup of chopped raw dock, and %DV uses FDA Daily Values. Raw spinach (FDC 168462) is included for comparison. SR Legacy reports no vitamin K value for dock.
| Nutrient (USDA SR Legacy) | Dock, raw, per 100 g (nearest entry, not sorrel) | Dock, raw, per cup chopped (133 g) | Dock, boiled, per 100 g | Spinach, raw, per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 22 | 29 | 20 | 23 |
| Protein | 2.0 g (4%) | 2.7 g (5%) | 1.8 g (4%) | 2.9 g (6%) |
| Fiber | 2.9 g (10%) | 3.9 g (14%) | 2.6 g (9%) | 2.2 g (8%) |
| Vitamin C | 48.0 mg (53%) | 63.8 mg (71%) | 26.3 mg (29%) | 28.1 mg (31%) |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 200 mcg (22%) | 266 mcg (30%) | 174 mcg (19%) | 469 mcg (52%) |
| Magnesium | 103 mg (25%) | 137 mg (33%) | 89 mg (21%) | 79 mg (19%) |
| Potassium | 390 mg (8%) | 519 mg (11%) | 321 mg (7%) | 558 mg (12%) |
| Iron | 2.4 mg (13%) | 3.2 mg (18%) | 2.1 mg (12%) | 2.7 mg (15%) |
| Manganese | 0.35 mg (15%) | 0.46 mg (20%) | 0.30 mg (13%) | 0.90 mg (39%) |
| Calcium | 44 mg (3%) | 59 mg (5%) | 38 mg (3%) | 99 mg (8%) |
| Vitamin K | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 483 mcg (402%) |
In the USDA dock entry, vitamin C and magnesium stand out: a cup of chopped raw leaves supplies 71% of the Daily Value for vitamin C and a third of the Daily Value for magnesium, with very few calories. Boiling lowers the vitamin C figure, from 48 to 26 milligrams per 100 grams in USDA data. See foods high in vitamin C for comparisons, and our spinach guide for a familiar green to compare against.
Because SR Legacy lists no vitamin K value for dock or sorrel, do not assume it is low. MedlinePlus advises people taking warfarin to eat consistent amounts of vitamin K-containing food from week to week; our foods high in vitamin K guide explains why.
What does sorrel taste like?
Sorrel tastes sharply sour and lemony. The UC ANR column describes French sorrel as lemony tart with a lettuce-like texture and says only a little is needed because the flavor is strong, and NC State describes sheep sorrel as tart and lemony too. Cooks use it much as they would a squeeze of lemon: in green sauces for fish and eggs, in spring soups, and torn into salads. When cooked, the bright green leaves quickly turn an olive color and collapse into a soft puree, which is normal. Our lemons guide covers the citrus flavor sorrel is so often compared to.
Oxalic acid in sorrel: why amount matters
Sorrel contains oxalic acid. The UC ANR column notes that French sorrel contains oxalic acid, like spinach and beets, and says only a small amount should be eaten at a time. NC State lists soluble calcium oxalates as the toxic principle of sheep sorrel, rates the severity as low, and flags the plant as a problem for cats, dogs and horses. Our oxalates guide explains how these compounds behave in the body and which foods carry the most.
Serious poisonings from Rumex plants are rare but documented:
- Farre and colleagues, 1989: a report in The Lancet titled Fatal oxalic acid poisoning from sorrel soup.
- Reig and colleagues, 1990: a case report of a 53-year-old man who died 72 hours after eating curled dock (Rumex crispus), with severe low blood calcium, metabolic acidosis and liver failure; the authors stressed the risk of using these plants for culinary purposes.
- A 1990 veterinary report: 10 of 100 ewes developed acute oxalate poisoning after being penned in a lot where curly dock was growing.
Sorrel used as a seasoning herb is a different situation from these cases, but they explain why the extension column advises eating only a small amount at a time. People who have had calcium oxalate kidney stones, or who have kidney disease, should ask their clinician before eating sorrel. Keep pets and grazing animals away from patches of wild sheep sorrel and dock.
How to cook and keep sorrel
- Choose: look for bright, unblemished leaves; the smaller, younger ones are milder.
- Prep: pull off thick stems, then slice the leaves into ribbons or tear them.
- Cook briefly: stir sorrel into soups, sauces or scrambled eggs at the end of cooking; it melts within a minute or two.
- Pair: its sourness suits fish, eggs, potatoes, lentils and creamy dishes.
- Keep: wrap unwashed leaves in a damp towel in the refrigerator and use them soon, as they wilt quickly.
- Foraging: sheep sorrel and docks grow in lawns and fields; eat only plants you can identify with certainty, and skip plants from sprayed areas.
For another sour green with the same oxalic acid caution, see our purslane guide, which also covers how to tell that plant from its look-alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sorrel?
A leafy herb in the genus Rumex with a sharp, lemony taste. Garden sorrel and French sorrel are the common culinary kinds.
What does sorrel taste like?
Sour and lemony. A University of California garden column describes French sorrel as lemony tart, with tender, lettuce-like leaves.
Is sorrel the same as the Caribbean sorrel drink?
No. The Jamaican drink is made from roselle, a hibiscus. The leafy herb is a Rumex plant.
Is sorrel high in oxalic acid?
Yes. Sorrel contains oxalic acid, and extension writers advise eating only a small amount at a time. Ask a clinician first if you have had kidney stones.
What is French sorrel?
Rumex scutatus, a low, perennial sorrel native to the Mediterranean, valued for its lemony, tart leaves.
Does USDA have nutrition data for sorrel?
Not under that name. The nearest SR Legacy entry is raw dock, with 22 calories and 48 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 g.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Purslane: Nutrition, Edible Uses and the Spurge Look-Alike, Oxalates: High Oxalate Foods, Low Oxalate Foods and Kidney Stones, Leafy Greens: USDA List of Dark Greens, Spinach vs Kale and Tips.