Montia fontana, commonly known as blinks, water blinks, water chickweed, or annual water miner's lettuce, is a delicate, small herbaceous plant belonging to the miner's lettuce family (Montiaceae), historically grouped within the Portulacaceae family. It has a vast, near-cosmopolitan distribution, flourishing in wet, cool environments around the globe, ranging from subarctic and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere down to the high-altitude Andes and Australasia. The genus name Montia honors Giuseppe Monti, an 18th-century Italian professor of botany and director of the Bologna Botanical Garden. The species epithet fontana is Latin for "of a spring" or "fountain," directly highlighting its absolute preference for freshwater springs, streamsides, wet pastures, and seepage areas. Within European agrarian history, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, it has long been recognized as a highly valued, wild-foraged spring ephemeral.

The plant is typically a low-growing, mat-forming annual or perennial herb with thin, branching stems that rarely exceed 5 to 20 centimeters in length and frequently root at the nodes. Its leaves are small, opposite, smooth, and somewhat succulent, varying from spatula-shaped to lance-shaped. The flowers of Montia fontana are minute, displaying two sepals and up to five tiny white petals; they are frequently cleistogamous—meaning they self-pollinate without ever fully opening. After flowering, it produces small, spherical capsules that roll inward upon ripening, forcibly expelling glossy, dark brown to black seeds whose surface texture serves as a primary marker for dividing the species into distinct regional subspecies. It thrives on non-calcareous, mildly acidic, and nutrient-poor soils where water flows or pools cleanly during the cooler months of the year.

Montia fontana holds a storied place in regional European gastronomy, particularly in central and western Spain and parts of Portugal, where it is gathered from wild springs and eaten fresh. It offers a tender, juicy texture and a crisp, clean, fairly mild taste that makes it an exceptional addition to traditional spring salads or used as a delicate palate cleanser. Because the foliage can turn bitter as ambient temperatures rise and the plant enters a hot, dry position, it is strictly treated as a seasonal, cool-weather luxury. Due to its short shelf-life and highly specific wetland habitat requirements, it is rarely cultivated commercially and remains primarily a treasure for seasoned wild-crafters and sustainable foragers.

Nutritionally, water blinks is remarkably dense in health-promoting dietary components despite its delicate appearance. It stands out among leafy green vegetables for an exceptionally high lipid content, making it one of the richest known wild plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids (primarily alpha-linolenic acid). Additionally, it provides a substantial amount of dietary fiber, minerals—notably manganese—and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Like many of its relatives in the caryophyllid clade, the plant synthesizes oxalic acid. While harmless to most in standard dietary portions, the elevated oxalate levels mean individuals prone to kidney stones are advised to moderate their intake.