Bog arum

Calla palustris

root

Rhizome dried, ground then baked into famine bread in Lapland and Scandinavia, mixed with flour.

Origin

Marshes of northern Europe and Siberia

Where to find it

In bogs and pond edges in Sweden, Finland and northern Poland; nobody makes bread from it any more.

Season (United States)

all year round

Preparation

Never raw or fresh: it burns the mouth and throat (oxalate crystals); only dried, ground and cooked for a long time.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

Missebröd means “calla bread” in Swedish: it was made during the famines of the 19th century.