Burdock Food Purpose

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Recently I discovered interesting information for myself, which I want to share with you. It turns out that burdock or burdock, as it is often called by the people, has not only medicinal, but also dietary properties

Skillful Japanese with a large population and small habitats consume more than 300 wild plant species. Burdock is in the first place on this list. Its consumption in this country is comparable to the amount of potatoes eaten in our homeland. That is why life expectancy there is higher than in other states. On Sakhalin, locals actively use burdock for food. What qualities are valued for this unusual vegetable?

Nutritional value

All parts of burdock are eaten, but the roots are the most useful product. They contain:

• the whole range of vitamins of group B, E, K, C;

• potassium;

• calcium;

• phosphorus;

• iron;

• polyphenols;

• inulin;

• protein;

• tannins;

• fatty and essential oils;

• stigmasterol;

• fatty acids (palmitic, stearic);

• sugar;

• alimentary fiber.

The richest pantry, enclosed in one plant, helps our body to maintain a high level of immunity in winter.

Use cases

The low calorie content of burdock roots (only 72 kcal per 100 grams of raw materials) allows it to be included in weight loss diets. The presence of inulin helps diabetics replenish their diet with vitamins.

The leaf stalks are harvested for future use all summer. Cut into pieces, rinse but do not peel. Placed in barrels. Sprinkle with layers of salt, put oppression. After 3 days, the load is removed, the container is tightly closed with a lid. Store in a cellar or refrigerator.

Do the same with the roots. They dig out the raw materials in the fall. Rinse thoroughly but do not clean. Cut into pieces 10-15 cm, sprinkle with salt, compact with a load.

Before use, the roots are soaked in cold water, changing it to fresh water several times. When cooking, determine readiness with a fork. The finished product has a soft consistency, like a potato. Then peeled from the top layer, cut into long sticks. Lightly fried in vegetable oil with the addition of spices, sesame seeds, mustard, or used for other purposes. So more vitamins and nutrients are stored in burdock.

Experienced gourmets advise you to try burdock with boiled rice for the first time. At the same time, the whole taste of the vegetable culture is revealed. Rice is boiled without salt, washing and stirring in an oriental way. Then add the roots fried with onions, sprinkled with a little soy sauce.

The following dishes are prepared from the roots of burdock:

1. Salads with carrots, daikon, and other vegetables. They are seasoned with soy sauce, sour cream, grape or apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil.

2. Fried or baked in the oven, similar to potatoes.

3. Puree from boiled roots.

4. Casserole stuffed with meat, mushrooms or vegetables.

5. Pancakes, like with zucchini.

6. Soups with pork and different types of poultry.

7. Deep-fried chips.

8. Spicy dressing. Marinated burdock with ginger pieces and hot spices.

9. Bread. The dried and ground root is mixed with an equal amount of rye or wheat flour, and flat cakes are baked.

The list is endless. In culinary processing, burdock tastes like asparagus, celery roots or parsley.

For food purposes, annual plants are used. Its root system is soft, without lignified fibers. In the second year, it becomes tough, acquires a slight bitterness.

This summer I will definitely try to cook burdock for my family. It grows on the banks of the river, not far from the site. Who knows, maybe this valuable vegetable will become an irreplaceable product on our table.