Common Glasswort Taken at Tyninghame Bay on 24th September 2017 using Panasonic Lumix LX5 in macro mode. Common Glasswort. Species: Order: Family: Habit: Salicornia europaea. Caryophyllales. Amaranthaceae. Annual. Habitat: Feature: Coastal and inland salt marshes, alkali flats, and other habitats with saline soils. Salicornia europaea is edible, either cooked or raw. In the UK, it is one of several plants known as samphire.Samphire is usually cooked,either steamed or microwaved,and then coated in butter or olive oil. Due to its high salt content, it must be cooked without any salt added, in plenty of water. It has a hard, stringy core, and after cooking, the edible flesh is pulled off from the core. This flesh, after cooking, resembles seaweed in colour, and the flavour and texture are like young spinach stems or asparagus. Samphire is often used as a suitably maritime accompaniment to fish or seafood.