Sorrel is a leafy plant with a sharp, lemony taste that grows wild in many places and is also cultivated in gardens. The leaves look similar to spinach but have a distinctive tangy, slightly sour flavor that adds brightness to salads and soups. French cooks have used sorrel for centuries in sauces and omelets, and it appears in cuisines around the world.

The plant contains oxalic acid, which gives it that characteristic tartness. When you eat sorrel, your mouth puckers slightly, like when you taste lemon juice. Some people describe the flavor as refreshing, while others find it too sharp. Young sorrel leaves taste milder than older ones.

Sorrel can also mean a reddish-brown color, especially when describing horses. A sorrel horse has a copper-colored coat that gleams in the sunlight.

The word can also describe a light ginger color in someone's hair, though this use is less common today.