Foraging Series - Kudzu

It was one of those good ideas that turned out to be a not so good idea.

Kudzu was brought to this country from Japan. The good idea, at least my understanding of it, was to use it as a means to control erosion in erosion susceptible areas. It turns out that Kudzu loves it here … loves the climate so much that Kudzu has laid claim to its new home and is taking over.

The good idea turned out to be an environmental disaster of sorts. Controlling it is more than a challenge.

I was asked the question a few years ago by a man. 

His friend had some property that was being taken over by Kudzu.

How can he get that stuff under control?

I told him that it would take a while.

The first step was to build a fence around his property. The second was to go out to the sale barn and buy a bunch of goats to turn loose inside the fence. Let the goats eat all the above ground vegetation. Once the above ground vegetation has been taken care of by the goats, take the goats back to the sale barn and sell them as the third step in the process. Use the proceeds from the sale of the goats to buy a bunch of pigs to turn loose inside the fence to root out and eat the Kudzu roots. The last step is to return the pigs to the sale barn and use the proceeds from their sale to buy a couple of goats to keep inside the fence to keep the encroaching Kudzu nipped back as it makes its way across the fence at a growing rate of a foot a day during its peak growing season.

Kudzu, bane that it is, also has some blessing in it.

Whether out of necessity or as a personal foraging interest, Kudzu offers itself as a wild edible.

The older leaves are extremely tough.

The younger and lighter colored leaves, as well as the tender stem ends, are the better parts to harvest to use. Even the younger leaves have a tough texture that requires a longer cooking time to tender them up. They also have a smell to them that seems a little odd in the kitchen.

The blooms are especially fragrant.

Blooming Kudzu is one of my favorite summertime smells. 

There are a few folks that go out and pick Kudzu blossoms to make Kudzu jelly. 

I believe I’ll let them do that on their own. I’m not interested in wading through the Kudzu jungles that create shady and protective habitat for the types of vipers that inhabit our climatological region.

Kudzu roots are also edible and packed with complex carbohydrates. I’ll be digging some this winter to scratch another item off the experimental archaeology list.

Oriental natural medicine uses Kudzu root for treating some issues.

It is, to be such a bane, quite an interesting bane.

How does it taste?

About like it smells while it is cooking.

I think it smells and tastes like Kudzu.

There is nothing in our taste reference catalog that is remotely close to Kudzu.

Once the leaves had been boiled a good while, around a half hour, I browned some garlic in a generous measure of butter then salted and sautéed the greens in the skillet.

They still needed something.

Pepper sauce.

Generous splash.

Kudzu is definitely doable.

I think though, from a matter of personal taste perspective, this is a wild edible that will be tucked away for use in a just in case scenario.