Burdock

Arctium lappa, A. tomentosum

root · prebiotic

A long, thin brown root of a tall plant with hooked flower heads, crunchy and slightly earthy; the gobo of Japanese cooking. 100 g provide 3 g of fibre, mostly fructans.

Origin

Temperate Eurasia; essential in Japan (gobo)

Season (United States)

October to March · grows in your region

Preparation

Its thin skin is scraped with the back of a knife rather than peeled: the flavor lies just beneath. Once cut, it darkens fast: straight into water.

Molecules

Fructans (inulin, FOS)

Did you know?

Its flower heads bristling with hooks cling to animal fur to travel; they inspired the invention of Velcro.