Editing Arctium (section)

=== Food and drink ===
[[File:Burdockgobo.jpg|thumb|A dish containing a Japanese appetizer, {{Transliteration|ja|[[kinpira|kinpira gobō]]}}, consisting of sautéed burdock root and carrot, with a side of sautéed dried daikon]]
The [[taproot]] of young burdock plants can be harvested and eaten as a [[root vegetable]]. While generally out of favour in modern European [[cuisine]], it is popular in East Asia. ''[[Arctium lappa]]'' is known as {{Transliteration|zh|niúbàng}} ({{lang|zh|牛蒡}}) in Chinese, the same name having been borrowed into Japanese as {{Transliteration|ja|gobō}}, and is eaten in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In Korean, burdock root is called {{Transliteration|ko|u-eong}} ({{lang|ko|우엉}}) and sold as {{Transliteration|ko|tong u-eong}} ({{lang|ko|통우엉}}), or "whole burdock". Plants are cultivated for their slender roots, which can grow up to about one metre long and two centimetres across. Burdock root is very crisp and has a sweet, mild, or pungent flavour with a little muddy harshness that can be reduced by soaking [[Julienning|julienned]] or shredded roots in water for five to ten minutes. The roots have been used as potato substitutes in Russia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Nyerges|first=Christopher|title=Foraging Washington: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods|publisher=Falcon Guides|year=2017|isbn=978-1-4930-2534-3|location=Guilford, CT|oclc=965922681}}</ref>

Immature flower stalks may also be harvested in late spring, before flowers appear; their taste resembles that of [[globe artichoke|artichoke]], to which the burdock is related. The stalks are thoroughly peeled, and either eaten raw, or boiled in salt water.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Szczawinski, A.F. |author2=Turner, N.J. |year=1978 |title= Edible Garden Weeds of Canada |publisher=National Museum of Natural Sciences}}</ref> Leaves are also eaten in spring in Japan when a plant is young and leaves are soft. Some ''A. lappa'' cultivars are specialized for this purpose. A popular Japanese dish is {{Transliteration|ja|[[kinpira]] gobō}} ({{lang|ja|金平牛蒡}}), julienned or shredded burdock root and [[carrot]], braised with [[soy sauce]], [[sugar]], [[mirin]] and/or [[sake]], and [[sesame oil]]. Another is burdock [[makizushi]] ([[sushi]] filled with pickled burdock root; the burdock root is often artificially coloured orange to resemble a carrot).

In the second half of the 20th century, burdock achieved international recognition for its culinary use due to the increasing popularity of the [[macrobiotic diet]], which advocates its consumption. It contains a fair amount of [[dietary fiber]] (GDF, 6&nbsp;g per 100&nbsp;g), calcium, potassium, and amino acids,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nikkeibp.co.jp/archives/419/419412.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904135938/http://www.nikkeibp.co.jp/archives/419/419412.html|archive-date=2012-09-04|title=ゴボウの皮はむかないのが"新常識" (06/01/19) - ニュース - nikkei BPnet}}</ref> and is low in calories. It contains the [[prebiotic (nutrition)|prebiotic]] fiber [[inulin]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Itaya |first1=Nair Massumi |last2=Oliveira |first2=Maria Gabriela Xavier de |last3=Oliveira |first3=Mirela Caroline Vilela de |last4=Porreta |first4=Camila |last5=Menão |first5=Márcia Cristina |last6=Borges |first6=Ricardo Moraes |last7=Silva |first7=José Roberto Machado Cunha da |last8=Borges |first8=João Carlos Shimada |last9=Knöbl |first9=Terezinha |title=Prebiotic effects of inulin extracted from burdock (Arctium lappa) in broilers |journal=Arquivos do Instituto Biológico |date=1 February 2018 |volume=84 |doi=10.1590/1808-1657000522016 |url=https://www.scielo.br/j/aib/a/6j73pJw55B3XPhVyrSs8r7m/?format=pdf&lang=en |access-date=3 November 2022|doi-access=free }}</ref>  It contains a [[polyphenol oxidase]],<ref>Extraction, Partial Characterization, and Inhibition Patterns of Polyphenol Oxidase from Burdock (Arctium lappa). Mie S. Lee-Kim, Eun S. Hwang and Kyung H. Kim, Enzymatic Browning and Its Prevention, Chapter 21, pp. 267–276, {{doi|10.1021/bk-1995-0600.ch021}}</ref> which causes its darkened surface and muddy harshness by forming [[tannin]]-[[iron]] complexes. Burdock root's harshness harmonizes well with [[pork]] in miso soup ([[tonjiru]]) and with Japanese-style [[pilaf]] ([[takikomi gohan]]).

[[Dandelion and burdock]] is a [[soft drink]] that has long been popular in the [[United Kingdom]]; it has its origins in [[hedgerow mead]] commonly drunk in the [[mediæval period]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/brewing/fetch-recipe.php?rid=dandelion-burdock-beer |title=Mead Recipes: Dandelion and Burdock Beer |publisher=Dyfed Lloyd Evans |access-date=December 17, 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017165356/http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/brewing/fetch-recipe.php?rid=dandelion-burdock-beer |archive-date=17 October 2012 }}</ref> Burdock is believed to be a [[galactagogue]], a substance that increases [[lactation]], but it is sometimes recommended to be avoided during pregnancy based on animal studies that show components of burdock to cause uterus stimulation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-burdock.html |title=Burdock (Arctium lappa): MedlinePlus Supplements |publisher=Nlm.nih.gov |date=July 20, 2010 |access-date=September 12, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717095144/http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-burdock.html |archive-date=17 July 2010 }}</ref>

In Europe, burdock root was used as a [[bittering agent]] in [[beer]] before the widespread adoption of [[hops]] for this purpose.