All About Burdock - Eat Something Wild Every Day

Burdock

The common name for Burdock that we are familiar with today, the English ‘bur’, originated from the French bourre, meaning ‘woolly’.

Grieve attributes the French bourre to the Latin burre, or ‘lock of wool’ frequently found entangled with the plant where sheep have grazed.

Burdock might be a form of beurre or butter, which comes from a farm custom of wrapping butter in the large leaves to keep it cool.

While the plant’s resemblance to docks, literally seen as a ‘dock with burs’, led to its name bur-dock.

Scientific Name

Arctium lappa and Arctium minus

Family

Asteraceae

Botanical Description

Greater burdock grows up to 1-2 m bearing large, heart-shaped, dull green leaves with fine hairs. The flowers are globe-shaped and thistle-like, becoming bur-like seed heads.

Lesser burdock grows up to 1-1.5 m tall with longer heart-shaped, dark green leaves and prickly flowers varying from pink to lavender in colour.

Status

Biennials. Native.

Habitat and Distribution

Scrubs, woodlands, roadsides, fields and wastelands.

Parts Used for Food

Largely the roots, but also the flower stem.

Harvest Time

Summer to autumn.

Food Uses of Burdock

Roots can be eaten cooked as a boiled or fried vegetable. It is more common in Asian cooking in Japan and China. The flower stem can also be used as a wild edible salad vegetable, but it needs peeling first.

Nutritional Profile

Contains vitamin C as one of its most valued nutrients.

Burdock Recipes

Herbal Medicine Uses of Burdock

Primarily used as a blood purifier and as a herbal remedy for skin diseases and infections.

Other Uses

The large heart-shaped leaves were used as masks by actors in Ancient Greece. The prickly burs helped to inspire the invention of velcro.

Safety Note

May cause contact dermatitis in some. The plant is best avoided in pregnancy due to oestrogenic effects. Burdock may also interfere with some medications.

References

Duke, J. A. (1985) CRC handbook of medicinal herbs. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Grieve, M. M. (1998) A modern herbal. London: Tiger Books International.

Pedersen, M. (2010) Nutritional herbology: a reference guide to herbs. Warsaw: Whitman Publications.

Burdock Root Chips

For this burdock root recipe, you can use either the roots of Greater Burdock (Arctium lappa) or Lesser Burdock (Arctium minus). Burdock roots can be roasted with other vegetables at the same time. They offer a taste similar to parsnips which complements the crispy coating.

Please note that it is illegal to dig up roots without landowner’s consent.

Burdock Root Recipe Ingredients

Burdock roots, well-scrubbed and peeled
1 rounded tablespoon flour
1 rounded tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Burdock Root Recipe Instructions

Cut the roots into chip-sized wedges, discarding any that are tough and place in a saucepan, covered with water. Parboil for 10 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 200ºC gas mark 6, adding a roasting tin to heat up at the same time.
While the burdock roots are partially cooking, mix the flour and cheese together in a bowl and season well. You could also add a pinch of cayenne, chilli flakes or paprika if wished.
When the 10 minutes are up, drain the burdock roots and quickly add to the flour/cheese mixture and toss to coat
Place the hot roasting tin on the hob over medium heat, add olive oil to just coat the bottom followed by the burdock roots. Turn in the hot oil. Place in the oven for about 40 minutes or until golden. Serve at once.

Burdock Root Stir Fry

Burdock (Arctium) root is a tasty addition to a stir-fry. You can use either Greater Burdock (Arctium lappa) or Lesser Burdock (Arctium minus).

IMPORTANT: Please note that it is illegal to dig up roots without the landowner’s permission. When harvesting burdock root, make sure that you gather it only from the first-year burdock. Second-year burdock is past its edibility prime and is not recommended as a foodstuff.

Also, make sure when collecting Burdock that you harvest from an area that is flush with the plant. Never completely harvest the whole patch, always leave some plants to continue to grow. Remember this isn’t strip-mining its sustainable food gathering.

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 1

First off, find a nice patch of burdock.

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 2

Reach down into the stems and push the foliage aside.

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 3

As you can see the stems are very visible.

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 4

Dig straight down uncovering the root as you go. The root can be very long, so take care not to dig in your spade and chop off the root before you have got to the bottom of it.

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 5

Take enough plants to last you a mean. In the picture above, I harvested enough burdock for a stir fry and to make a herbal decoction (medicine).

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 6

In your kitchen, clean and trim the burdock roots.

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 7

Now peel the skin off just like you would a carrot.

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 8

Place peeled burdock roots into a bowl of water with a cap full of cider vinegar. This prevents the root from discolouring.

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 9

When ready to cook, slice the root into matchstick pieces, along with some carrot. Amounts will vary depending on how many people you are feeding. I use the same amount of burdock root as I do carrot for each person.

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 10

Fry the burdock root and carrot in a heavy frying pan or wok. Add a small amount of Tamari or Soya Sauce, and continue stir frying your dish. Mine took between 5 to 7 minutes until it was ready.

Burdock Root Recipe – Step 11

What I like is for the dish to slightly caramelise, but play with the recipe.

Burdock root is also nice peeled, sliced and eaten raw with a little sea salt. I find it reminds me of raw celeriac.