What’s on your seder plate? Five traditional options for the “bitters”:
Ḥazzereth – cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa) (all identifications follow Rambam’s commentary on Mishnah Pesachim 2:6). An annual vegetable that develops a dense rosette of edible leaves. At first, its leaves are small and bitter.
ʻOlashin – cultivated chicory (Cichorium intybus). A perennial garden plant with elongated leaves and light blue blossoms, with many varieties. Today, a coffee substitute is made from its roasted roots, and its young leaves, which are slightly bitter, are used in salads.
Tamkha – endive (Cichorium endivia). Similar to lettuce and eaten in the same way.
Ḥarḥabina – wild plants (from the genus Eryngium). The young plant has edible leaves with a bitter taste. At maturity, the plant becomes spiny. The common wild species in the Mediterranean region of the Land of Israel is Eryngium creticum.
Maror – desert lettuce, which is very bitter (ibid.), likely referring to prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola).