פירוש על עוקצים 3:4

השבת (dill stalk) – a species of vegetable/green, and such is name in Arabic. And in the foreign language ANITO.

Introduction Today's mishnah discusses what constitutes food such that if it was originally terumah it is still considered terumah and it would still be subject to the laws of food impurity. We should note that the identity of some of these spices is speculative. Nevertheless, the principles are clear.

משנתן טעמו בקדירה (having given its taste to a dish) – if it was dill of heave-offering, once it gave its taste/flavor to a dish and he removed it from there, a “foreigner” (i.e., non-Kohen) who eats it is not liable, for it is a mere piece of wood.

The aneth stalk after having given its taste to a dish is no longer subject to the laws of terumah, and also no longer imparts food uncleanness. Once a stalk of aneth has given away its taste into a dish, it is no longer considered to be food. It's just a stalk. Therefore, if it was terumah, the stalk can now be eaten by a non-priest. And it is no longer subject to the laws of food impurity.

ואינו מטמא טומאת אוכלים (and does not receive uncleanness as food) – for since it was cooked, its strength and taste have departed and what remains is like a mere piece of wood, and furthermore it is not considered food.

The young sprouts of hawthorn, of lapidum, or leaves of the wild arum, do not impart food uncleanness until they are sweetened. These sprouts or other agricultural products are not considered human food in their raw form. They are "food" only once they've been "sweetened" by soaking them in wine, vinegar or salt water, sort of pickling them. There are many foods we eat today that would probably have the same rule for instance raw coffee or chocolate. These are inedible in their raw form and wouldn't be considered food until they've been processed.

לולבי זרדים (young sprouts of the service-tree – the interior of which is eaten as a relish) – soft branches that come out at the time when the trees blossom. And they pickle them in wine or in vinegar or in water and salt, and consume them.

Rabbi Shimon says: also [the leaves of] the colocynth are like them. Some say that the vegetable referred to here is a type of wild vine while some say it is a wild melon. In any case, the leaves are not edible until sweetened.

והעדל (garden-cress, summer-savory) – a species of vegetable similar to the radish.

ועלי לוף (and leaves of wild LOF/a plant similar to Colocasia with edible leaves and root, and bearing beans – classified with onions and garlic) – from the species of onions. And there are of if a species that we call it the לוף שוטה/the wild LOF, LOF trained for the leaves.

עד שימתוקו – for they are not considered edible food other than until after that they pick them and their bitterness leaves them.

פקועות (Bitter-Apple, a gourd) – similar to small watermelons, and they are bitter. But my Rabbis explained, a desert gourd. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.