Burdock

The very long, thin taproot of this Siberian native is the part of the plant for which it is cultivated, primarily in Japan; it is also a familiar market item in Taiwan and Hawaii. (I have read that burdock has long been admired in Scotland, as well, but have not been able to find recipes that corroborate the fact.) It is through Japanese and health-food markets that the root has become available in this country, or you can find it in quite a surprising number of seed catalogues, if you are a gardener.