Page 45 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Butterbur, Petasites spp. (ASTERACEAE)
KEY MEDICINAL USES:
Butterbur is primarily
BUTTERBUR, sometimes also called Sweet Coltsfoot
used for allergy and mi-
(note that Tussilago farfara is also called Coltsfoot), Bog
graine relief.
Rhubarb, or Fuki, is the common name given to these
HOW TO HARVEST AND
Petasites species. It is a perennial that re-shoots every
EAT: Flowers and stems
year from shallow rhizomes and it flowers before its
are harvested from the
leaves emerge. Male and female flowers are found on
separate plants. Leaves found along the flower stalk are base and can be cooked like any leafy green. Rolling
very different to leaves that develop from the rhizome them in salt prior to cooking or boiling the stalks
after flowering. Flowers smell like vanilla and seeds helps remove any bitterness, as does boiling them in
produce fluffy daisy or thistle heads. It is found along one change of water. I like them stir-fried, steamed,
watercourses, bogs, and other wet areas. or as a tempura. Leaves are mostly used to wrap food
for cooking. I use leaves for pit roasts and to wrap fish.
EDIBLE PARTS: cooked stems, flower buds, and flower
Note that burnt butterbur ash is a good salt substitute.
stems

ARCTIC BUTTERBUR, P. frigidus, prefers temperate
climates.
FLOWER: Flowers are loosely clustered together in an
umbrella-like inflorescence and held on a tall, erect flow-
er stalk, about 4–8 inches (10–20cm) high. Each flow-
er stalk contains 10-20 clusters of flowers, made up of
numerous tiny florets. Florets tend to be light pink and
thick stalk less than 3 inches (8cm) tall. Leaves can
white when developing and turn pale yellow or white as
grow up to 15 inches (40cm) wide and long. The up-
seeds develop short bristles.
per side of leaves have a fleshy, dark green appear-
LEAF: Large leaves grow in summer after flowers have ance with obvious central veins, while the underside
opened. Each leaf grows directly from the rhizome on a has a fuzzy, woolly texture that is pale green in color.

JAPANESE SWEET COLTSFOOT, P. japonicus, is native
to Japan, Korea and China and introduced in Europe and
North America. It is also called Fuki.
FLOWER: The flower makes it easy to identify from the
other butterburs, being pale yellow to white. Flowers
are arranged into an umbrella-like inflorescence at the
top of a flower stalk, which holds over 30 flowers.
LEAF: The round leaf can grow larger than 18 inches
(45cm) in ideal conditions. Like P. hybridus, leaf has a
heart-shaped base where it attaches to the stalk, but the
teeth along the margins are smaller and rounder. The
underside of the leaf is also fuzzy and much lighter in
color, but the upper side also has a slightly fuzzy texture Claes Lööw, CC-BY-SA-3.0
as well.

BUTTERBUR AND WARM GREENS: Ingredients: 2 cups gredients and fry for another min. Serve with rice.
butterbur flowers and stalks, 1 bunch asparagus, 1 bunch WARNING: Do not use when pregnant or breastfeed-
sliced bok choy, ½ cup diced shallots, 3 cloves sliced gar- ing. Butterbur has a high alkaloid content, so eat in
lic, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, ½ a squeezed lemon. Lightly fry moderation. Do not use if you have liver problems.
asparagus and shallots for 2 min. Add the bok choy and POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Indian Rhubarb, Da-
butterbur. Fry for another 3 min. Add the remaining in- rmera peltata

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