History and Lore

A member of the family Asteraceae (commonly known as the sunflower, aster, or daisy family), the roots and seeds of this Siberian native have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. The Chinese introduced burdock to the Japanese, who used it in herbal remedies for sore throats and colds and other maladies. The Japanese are responsible for its use as an edible plant and consider it a delicacy, enjoying its pleasant crunchy texture and earthy, meaty flavor. Edible burdock was introduced to France in the 1870s, and though the plant was admired for its hardiness, it never caught on as a garden crop. It also made its way to North America but was considered a weed until the second half of the twentieth century, when it was promoted by practitioners of the then-popular macrobiotic diet. Nowadays, it is recognized as a diuretic and is used in topical creams to combat chronic skin conditions.