Japanese knotweed is tasty, says local blogger

Photo by Rasbak, GNU License

Local blogger Anna sent me an interesting post about eating Japanese knotweed, an invasive plant* here in Ithaca.

Japanese knotweed's early, edible season is probably past for 2013, but Anna says it's very tasty -- so we might as well be on the lookout for it next year. She writes: "I’m not committed to eating wild food for its own sake, though it is fun. It has to taste good too." Check out her Japanese knotweed quiche recipe here.

And, while we're on the topic, other people suggest eating all kinds of invasives, including another common one around here: garlic mustard.

*What's an invasive plant? It's a plant that evolved somewhere else and somehow made its way to new place, where it has no natural enemies. It proliferates until it starts outcompeting the natives. Invasives are a problem because they change the food web in ways that can harm native organisms, lower biodiversity, and increase the likelihood of extinctions. It's a topic I've been interested in for a long time.