Burdock Takinogawa – Organic (Arctium lappa)

Takinogawa Burdock – Organic (Arctium lappa): known in Japan as Gobo, this vegetable is native to Eurasia, where for centuries it grew mainly as a wild medicinal plant, before Japanese growers domesticated it for culinary use. During the Edo period, agricultural selection in the Takinogawa region, today part of Kita Ward in Tokyo, led to the development of this important variety. Its roots were selected to become exceptionally long, tender and aromatic, transforming a wild root into one of the cornerstone ingredients of traditional Japanese Washoku cuisine.

It is a vigorous plant, growing up to two metres tall and highly ornamental, both for its large, heart-shaped leaves, soft to the touch with slightly undulating margins, and for its vivid purple flowers. The edible part is the long taproot, which can reach one metre in length. For culinary use, it is best harvested during the first year, before flowering, when the root remains tender and crisp, as it becomes woody later on.

Beyond its culinary interest, herbal use in teas and extracts was one of the original reasons for its domestication throughout Asia, and even today the dried and roasted root is used to prepare a cleansing infusion with a rich, enveloping flavour known as Gobo-cha.

In Japan, the root features in many traditional recipes, such as Kinpira Gobo, in which it is cut into matchsticks and stir-fried with carrots, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin and toasted sesame seeds. It is also essential for adding depth of flavour to stews and to Tonjiru miso soup, or it can be thinly sliced, fried or roasted to make crispy and wholesome chips.

In the garden, the powerful taproot of Burdock penetrates deep into the soil, naturally helping to loosen compacted clay soils and improve drainage in the deeper layers. To allow the root to develop properly during the first year, the soil should be worked deeply and stones removed.

It is a perennial plant that is not troubled by frost. In its second year it produces characteristic purple flower heads that develop into spiny burs covered with hooks. This structure became famous in the history of biotechnology because, after observing how these fruits attached themselves to his dog's fur, Swiss engineer George de Mestral was inspired to invent Velcro.

It is possible to harvest the roots of some plants while leaving the most vigorous specimens in the ground; in their second year, these will provide abundant seed for the following seasons.

As for water management, regular irrigation is necessary during the first year, while from the second year watering can be reduced, intervening only during prolonged periods of drought.

An ancient plant that provides a generous and wholesome harvest while at the same time bringing beauty and character to the garden.