Cheeseweed or little mallow is a common weed found here in Arizona. It is related to, but not the same as the more commonly known herb marshmallow. Marshmallow is revered for it’s mucilaginous roots. Which basically means it’s a bit slimy. It’s this viscous quality of the root that makes the water feel slippery and soft when you drink it. Medicinally mallows are used for all sorts of wonderful things from tummy troubles to sore throats, you can read all about them here.

Since finding them, we mostly use them as food. They can be used as an egg substitute for vegans. I love the root in cold water.  When I pull them up from the yard, after throwing the leaves in a salad, I chop and dry the root on my counter. Then just toss in my cup as I drink my water all day. It makes our plain, somewhat sharp tasting R.O. water much more palatable and helps me from feeling dry as well as replacing some of the minerals lost in the filtration process. Love your weeds!