Wednesday 18 May 2011

To butterbur or not to butterbur?

This is Butterbur.


It's like a wild rhubarb - grows everywhere at this time of year in Japan.


And Okaasan bought some yesterday and came home with it.


Look at the size of this thing! That's a dessert spoon, not a teaspoon.


We've decided to leave it on the table today and hope she cooks it herself. If not - I've found a recipe for Simmered Butterbur...or I might just sneak it out of the house and give it a student who likes cooking.


As with many edible wild plants, it needs boiling and washing and scraping and boiling and rinsing many times to actually make it edible. And then drowning in soy sauce and cooking sake to give it some taste.


so....pleeeease Okaasan - please cook the damned thing yourself!

3 comments:

  1. My only knowledge of butterbur is that it is a favourite subject for etegami, kind of a herald of spring, how disappointing then to hear that it is so tasteless!

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  2. well, it's one of those foods that you add so much seasoning to...that whatever taste it originally had is very masked!

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  3. What a shame it isn't more like rhubarb. I have a horrid feeling I've eaten as a practically candied version...well candied with a hint of soy sauce.

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