Page Text: Nutty (Japanese) Knotweed nibbles
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There is no other plant that separates foragers from gardeners more than Japanese knotweed. This – the number one most invasive plant in the world – was bought to the United Kingdom by Dutchman Dr Phillipe Von Siebold in 1850. It has since sprawled across much of Europe, into Australia, and is now spreading its way across the United States.
Japanese Knotweed shoots
A writer friend once told me that he saw Japanese knotweed as Tesco/Wallmart, “popping up in places it was not wanted and taking over.” If you find this plant growing on your land and you want to remove it before it destabilizes your house or takes over your garden, then you have to dig down at least 32 feet/10m and across around 16 feet/5m, lay down an impenetrable membrane, and incinerate the soil you’ve excavated. Even if you did want to spray it to get rid of it, you would have to use a huge amount of herbicide and inject it right into the plant over a few years. Cold or heat doesn’t kill it either as in its native Japan knotweed likes to live on the edges of volcanoes, meaning it can withstand total extremes of temperature.
It’s bad news if you do find some in or near your garden. However, if you are a fan of rhubarb, there is some saving grace, as there is a very similar flavor between the two plants. Though knotweed is far earthier and without the tang that reminded me of the overdose of the stuff I received as a child. In the early part of the 2000’s a forager friend let me in on the secret of how delicious it is, and I spent the next few months reading what little I could find about the edibility of it.
Steve Brill, the forager famed for being allowed to forage in Central Park, seemed the only other person who was eating it at that time. I made the leap of faith having found a patch a few hundred yards from my home. I harvested as much as I could carry and filled the freezer. For the next few weeks, I tried knotweed everything and fell in love with the flavor. My favorite is these nutty Japanese knotweed nibbles.
The patch was soon built over and I had to find another. I wasn’t hard, of course, and sure enough the next season I found the mother-load: a patch so big that it appeared someone was living in it, with a sleeping bag and a packet of cookies sitting in the middle of this half-acre plot of knotweed. But there was more than enough room for me to respect his or her privacy as I took tours of people around this kingdom of knotweed, feeling rather like Superman showing off his Ice Palace.
Only 10 of the 50 US states are free from Japanese Knotweed. To keep it in check Connecticut have an outright ban of this plant, whilst other states such as Washington or Oregon have categorized it as a noxious weed and issued a quarantine order on it.
Back in the Victorian era in Britain, British Rail decided that they would use knotweed to secure embankments and it was extensively planted next to the railroad track. I once caught a train across Wales, and glancing out of the window I noticed nothing but knotweed growing for at least half an hour. Here knotweed really is king.
Japanese knotweed and weedkiler
However, a word of caution: Japanese knotweed is often sprayed to the point that it’s more chemical than plant. If you spot some and know the landowner of where it is growing, then the best thing to do is ask them if they have sprayed. If not, then lookout for signs of singed leaves or clumps of black roots that look like they have been charred. On municipal sites, there should be a notification sign that it has been sprayed (if in doubt call your authority). If you suspect even in the slightest that it has been sprayed, then leave well alone or risk serious illness.
When to pick Japanese knotweed shoots
The best time to go out and pick knotweed is in the early spring when you’ll find shoots coming out of the ground looking rather like asparagus or hop shoots. Harvest them quickly, as they will soon become woody and unusable. You’ll still be able to harvest the top 1 foot/ 20-30cm of the plant until it grows to around 3 feet/1m. And note to gardeners: with repeat harvesting, you can keep it in check, and if you dig up the roots constantly over a few years, you may even eradicate it. By eating these recipes you could perhaps be helping stop the spread of knotweed: who’d have thought that biodiversity tasted so good?
Nutty Knotweed Nibbles
There is a gooey texture and a richness to these knotweed nibbles that will have you coming back for more. The first time I ever baked them I sat and ate the whole batch — think Rocky Road, or Chocolate Fondant but with buttery nuts and a twang of rhubarb instead of chocolate.
Ingredients