[The Story of Burdock]

Burdock is in season now. Even though I love it, I try to eat it in moderation because too much can cause bloating. Still, the more I learn about its background, the more I find myself drawn to it.

Burdock is a plant in the Asteraceae family, native to northern Eurasia. It grows wild across a wide area from northeastern China to Europe. It was introduced to Japan via China during the Heian period as a medicinal herb. In fact, ancient texts like the Honzō Wamyō record plants identified as burdock being used medicinally. Initially treated as a herb for detoxification, fever reduction, and cough suppression, its use as food also spread. By the Edo period, cultivation techniques had advanced, enabling mass production and variety improvement, leading to its nationwide popularity. Burdock comes in a wide variety, with distinct regional specialties. For example, the Takino River burdock, characterized by its slender, long roots, is famous in the Kanto region, while the Horikawa burdock, a thick, short Kyoto vegetable, is well-known in the Kansai region. Other distinctive varieties cultivated include salad burdock and leaf burdock.

Burdock is characterized by its distinctive earthy aroma and flavor, along with a crunchy texture. The culture of consuming burdock roots as a common everyday ingredient developed primarily in Japan and is said to have spread from there to parts of East Asia, such as Taiwan and Korea. In Europe and America, people are sometimes surprised, finding it resembles eating a tree root.

In Europe and North America, modern burdock is often perceived less as a vegetable and more as a “detoxifying herb.” Its purported benefits include diuretic effects, promoting sweating, and soothing skin issues. It is used in herbal teas, tinctures, and supplements. Furthermore, in traditional Chinese medicine, the “root” and “seeds” of burdock have been treated as medicinal ingredients. The seeds (burdock seeds) are particularly included in formulas for treating early stages of colds with sore throats and fever, and are also a component of the Kampo medicine Yin Qiao San (銀翹散).

Well-known burdock dishes in Japan include kinpira gobo (stir-fried burdock), tataki gobo (grated burdock), and gobo-ten (fried burdock sticks). The aroma and texture of burdock are essential to pork miso soup. The aroma and umami flavor of burdock come from chlorogenic acid, a type of polyphenol found in abundance in the skin. This component also causes burdock to turn brownish-red when soaked in water. For this reason, it is recommended to lightly scrape the surface of the burdock, leaving the skin intact. If you gently rub burdock with water using Takada Kozo Shoten's “Musubi” brush, you can remove the dirt while leaving the skin intact. The knotted shape is just right for removing fine dirt.

One of my favorite burdock dishes is Matsumae-zuke, a New Year's staple. It is a local dish from Hokkaido made by finely shredding dried squid and kombu seaweed and marinating them in soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. While carrots, herring roe, and salmon roe are often added, some recipes include burdock root. Adding thinly shredded raw burdock root provides a pleasant crunch and an earthy aroma that makes a nice accent. This is a dish my mother started making for us at New Year's some time ago.

Burdock root is in season from late autumn to early winter, and during this time, its umami flavor becomes even more concentrated. Because it grows long, thin roots deep into the earth, it is considered an auspicious ingredient symbolizing wishes for “perseverance” and “a solid foundation for the home,” making it an indispensable part of osechi dishes. This winter, I hope to stay healthy and energetic with the help of burdock root.

Takada Kozo Shoten's Scrubbing Brush Musubi
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kozo/tawashi.html
Yoshita Handi-Design Studio's Thin Julienne Peeler
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yoshita/peeler.html
Toribe Seisakusho's Kitchen Spatter
https://www.shokunin.com/en/toribe/
Shirokiya Shikkiten's Teshiozara
https://www.shokunin.com/en/shirokiya/teshio.html

References
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ゴボウ
https://vegetable.alic.go.jp/yasaijoho/yasai/0901_yasai1.html
https://himitsu.wakasa.jp/contents/gobou/
https://foodslink.jp/syokuzaihyakka/syun/vegitable/gobou.htm
https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1910976 (Hiroshige's “Illustrated Compendium of Japanese Products” National Diet Library Digital Collection)