Yesterday we had talked about cardoons a very close relative of the artichoke, a tuber, which resembles a succession of knots. This tuber is slightly sweet in flavor and is claimed to have originated in Japan and is seldom found in the US, if found it should be refrigerated. The Chinese call it “kam lu,” (sweet pink) or “tsao che tsan” (silkworm stone plant). The plant is a looped herb of the Lamiaceae (mint) family. The stem of the plant is approximately 30 cm (12″) high that bears deciduous, somewhat tousled leaves and white flowers. The edible part of the plant is the tuber which can be eaten raw, boiled, baked or steamed, and pickled
The tubers should be fresh, plump and light. The tubers should not be peeled it should be placed in a corse towel along with salt and rubbed to remove the peel. Then the tuber should be placed in acidulated cold water or blanched to maintain the original color of the tuber. Then the tuber is all yours. You can saute it with herbs, fry it, boil it and have it mashed, it can be fried in the Japanese style with mushrooms, beef and tofu cubes. You can also have the tubers boiled and as an appetizer with hot sauce or cream and parsley. Tnis knotted tuber is rare but has varied culinary usages in Japan, China and France. It is tasty and it is at your disposal to make the best use of this crunchy tuber once it is available.
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