Posted: Thu Mar 10, 05 9:35 am Post subject: Takinogawa burdock
I've got the seeds for this Japanese variety of burdock soaking now, to plant in a seed tray later on today. Bought this last year but didn't plant it.
I've never seen it before, let alone grow it, but I like burdock (the wild plant) as a vegetable. Anyone got any experience of takinogawa?
Having been inundated with the response here (the silence has been deafening), I've got it germinated now. Now lets see how well it grows before I plant it out.
OK, you asked for a response. Never 'eard of it and never eaten common burdock neither. A quick glance at my most obvious books reveals not a sausage.
My only other suggestion is Future Foods...if you didn't buy it from there, check their site; if you did, have you got Simon Hickmott's book Growing Unusual Vegetables?
It's the young leaf stems that are the choicest morsel. Peel them, blanch them, and eat them. Slightly bitter, good with mashed potato and roast meat. Very nice. Or if you can get the root before it flowers, that's also good (peeled, sliced and stir fried).
But it's early in the year for burdock. I'll put it in an article in Summer.