I grew up a stone’s throw from the Lackawanna River in Scranton, PA. The bank of the river was (and is) covered by a super-tall, bamboo-like plant that we called Monkey-Weed. It produced a small, white flower each summer, but the plant was not something I ever considered attractive. Our Monkey-Weed’s real name is Japanese Knotweed and was brought to the U.S. in the late 1800’s to use as erosion control. Unfortunately, it has become an extremely invasive plant crowding out native species.
Mike and I now have a sweet little cottage on a lake near the Delaware River which forms the border between PA and NJ. The banks and islands of this beautiful river are also plagued by Knotweed. At a workshop run by the National Park Service we learned that a piece of Knotweed the size of a thumbnail could float down the river, deposit itself on a bank, and reproduce! No wonder that eradicating it has been so difficult.
You can imagine my surprise a few years ago when I learned that the young shoots of the Japanese Knotweed are edible. Cool. This would be the perfect revenge. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and all that.
Most references compare the shoots to either asparagus or rhubarb. Since I’ve pledged to forage for at least one plant a week this spring, I thought it was time to try Japanese Knotweed. Fool that I am.
We were at my amazing little great-nephew’s birthday party this past week, which was at the house where I grew up, so a few of us took a walk along the river and harvested the Japanese Knotweed sprouts. They were easy to pick; I used scissors, but they also snapped off at the ground without a problem.
At home, I removed all of the leaves, and threw them in the garbage. I wouldn’t chance an invasion in my yard by putting them in my compost. I took about half of the shoots and steamed them to go with our dinner. As I was preparing them, I realized I was dreading the thought of tasting them. I’m usually quite willing to taste just about anything, but I realized that my lifelong dislike of this plant was affecting how I felt about eating them.
My feelings, however, were prophetic. I admit I am partly to blame. I did overcook the shoots. But this slime was truly disgusting. Not one book, not one website I visited in my research admitted the horribleness of Japanese Knotweed.
Ok, I thought. I will not be deterred. My mistake was cooking them as a vegetable like asparagus. I’ll use the rest to make a rhubarb-like dessert. And I proceeded to use precious butter, cream and organic sugar to make Baked Knotweed. I mean, really, just the name of it should have been enough to make me quit while I was ahead.
I used this recipe for Baked Rhubarb. It smelled marvelous. And tasted like sweet awfulness. I really don’t have words to describe the taste of knotweed. It has a sourness which is fine, but it also has a very strange aftertaste that I just do not like. It’s a shame because I could make a million selling this stuff if people loved it; there’s so much of it in our area.
How about you? Have you ever tasted Japanese Knotweed? What did you think?
Thank you for visiting Learning And Yearning. May "the LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Num 6:24-26
Deb says
I just love this post! Love your honesty and hearing about your not-so-pleasant experience with knotweed. My favorite line is “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and all that.” Thanks, Susan!
Susan Vinskofski says
Haha!! Thanks, Deb!
Linda Strickland says
I have only subscribed to your blog for a week but now I’m a true believer. I can tell from this article that I can now trust your opinion! You won’t write something just to make yourself appear right. You also didn’t give up! You tried the plant two different ways!
Thank you for your honesty! We have Kudzu down here in the South. I know it’s edible, but I”m so mad with it that I don’t want to try it. I understand your emotional dislike for your Japanese erosion plant!
Susan Vinskofski says
Yes, I can tell that you get it!!! Thanks for visiting, Linda.
Jessica says
Hahahahahaa! LOVE THIS!!
Susan Vinskofski says
🙂
Krista P says
Thanks for the chuckle and the warning. Sounds like you are still left with the lemons on this one:-). We have a lot of garlic mustard which I understand is very invasive but the leaves do make a tasty addition to a salad. And I read you can make pesto with it which I intend to try.
Susan Vinskofski says
Now there’s an invasive that has some worth!!!
michele verrastro says
Susan, I oven roasted them and they were terrible.
Susan Vinskofski says
I’ve been meaning to ask you!
Ariana {And Here We Are...} says
Oh, dear! Good for you, for trying them twice. Now I’m super curious about trying it– I can’t help it!
Susan Vinskofski says
You’re just THAT type of person, Ariana!
bakitgul says
I have never eaten or foraged them, but here in Turkey they are a big hit and are sold in the markets. They fry some onion, add some green pepper and tomato, and then the knotweed…..
Susan Vinskofski says
Ahhh. Very interesting. My methods of preparation may be the problem.
Ken says
When I was a kid on Vancouver Island, we used to pick and eat “elephant ears” as young shoots. Raw. They taste kinda like rhubarb. BUT! Knotweed is high in oxalic acid and can cause kidney damage if consumed in quantity (like sorrel or potatoes that have gone green from sun exposure). Maybe it’s best left to just rot!
Keep on foraging!
Susan Vinskofski says
Thanks for the warning, Ken!!!
Ria says
You’re cooking it wrong – expecting it to stand on it’s own. Try this recipe for Japanese Knotweed Bread. I made it for my coworkers and they’re still (2 months later) asking for it again.
http://www.eattheweeds.com/japanese-knotweed-dreadable-edible/
I think I changed the sugar to brown sugar and added a little cinnamon and nutmeg.
Susan Vinskofski says
Hmmm. Well, yes, with steaming it was on its own. But the dessert had cream, butter, sugar. But, I’ll take your word on it. 🙂
sarah auzina says
Boy, this post makes me glad I just yanked it all up and threw it all away! I was just reading a blog that said it tastes like rhubarb… but seeing as my neighbors use pesticides and my dogs pee on everything in the yard, I’m going to skip eating the evil knotweed!
Seth says
I just pick and eat them raw…. well I suck the juice out and umm… spit the remainder out. The juice tastes a little apple like. My kids like it too, never thought about cooking them. However steaming sounds bad!
Liz says
Knotweed actually became one of my favorite wild foods when I still lived in the Northeast.
But, like you, I found that preparing it like rhubarb created an inedible mess.
I eventually decided I didn’t like the taste cooked at all, and always opted for raw or lightly blanched. Once I did that, I started using it as a tomatillo and I was very happy with the results. I made salsa, pickled knotweed, and gazpacho, and all were very good.
Susan Vinskofski says
Thanks for the great tips, Liz!