Is burdock a yam? Can it be eaten the same way as yam?

1. Is it yam?

The appearance of burdock looks very similar to yam, but they are not the same and are different from yam. Burdock is a biennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family and the genus Arctium. It is also called burdock, burdock seed, Japanese bullwhip vegetable, and burdock. It is widely distributed in Henan, Hubei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang and other places in my country, and its main producing areas are Jiangsu Province and Shandong Province. Burdock has an upright fleshy root, which is relatively thick, about 15 cm long and 2 cm in diameter, with many ridges on the surface. The leaves are relatively large, broadly oval in shape, about 30 cm long, and have a capitulate inflorescence. The small flowers are purple-red in color.

2. Differences from Chinese Yam

The surface of burdock is very rough. When it is broken, the cross-section looks like annual rings, and there is no mucus at the cut. There are some roots on the surface of the yam, the texture is very brittle, and it is easy to pinch marks. The cross-section is pure white, without the appearance of annual rings, and there is mucus on the cut. In addition to the difference in appearance, there are also differences in function.

3. Is it eaten the same way as yam?

Not only does burdock look similar to yam, it is also eaten in a similar way. It can be steamed or used to stew meat or make soup, and it tastes great.