Burdock Root Flavor Newsletter
This wild root veggie braises, roasts, and fries up beautifully!
Burdock Root
Burdock roots taste nutty and earthy with a creeping bitterness. The flavor reminds me of a portabella mushroom, with a nuttiness reminiscent of parsnips and the bitterness of almond skins. When raw, the roots can have a little more minerality than many prefer (in other words, they taste like dirt). But braising, roasting, frying, and pickling easily tempers the rootsโ bitter qualities, and delivers a delightfully sweet nuttiness. Use them as you would sunchokes, parsnips, or parsley root. Speaking of sunchokes: both sunchokes and burdock contain the dietary fiber inulin, which can cause, uh, excessive flatulence (farts). Avoid burdock on a first date.
In addition to its ubiquity in wild spaces, burdock root can easily be found in many health and specialty food stores - especially Japanese and East Asian grocery stores, where youโll see it called โgobo.โ The first recipe I cooked with foraged burdock root several years ago was Kinpira Gobo from Namiko Hirasawa Chen of Just One Cookbook. It does not disappoint. I strongly encourage eaters to start their burdock exploration with recipes from Japanese cooks and authors. Maybe the Gobo Chips from Recipe Tin Japan?
If youโre ready for more burdock inspiration: Grow Forage Cook Ferment has a simple Roasted Burdock Root, and Edible Wild Food has a recipe for Burdock Root Pickles. The Burdock Mashed Potatoes from Forager Chef are a great riff on a classic, and this weekโs recipe for Green Beans and Burdock gives you a taste of both simmered and fried burdock (the crispy bits taste like potato chips!).
Find the Flavor
Find Burdock Root
โ Foraged yourself throughout North America
โ Delivered fresh from Good Hill Farms
โ Delivered fresh from LosAngelesProduce on Etsy
โ Purchase from foragers on Foraged
Find Burdock Root Products
โ Dried Burdock Root from Freesearch Botanicals
โ Citrus Root Bitters from Wild Muskoka
โ Sunrise Tea from Bloom Wildcraft
References & Resources
Native American Ethnobotany Database
Foraging for Wild Burdock CBC Life Video
Foraging for Burdock Root UK Wildcraft Videos
Northern Woodlands Burdock Root Article
Corinna Wood Burdock Root Article
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