Heracleum pyrenaicum subsp. orsinii

(Guss.) F. Pedrotto & S. Pignatti

Apiaceae Edible: Roots, shoots

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Description

A herbaceous plant in the Apiaceae family found in temperate regions.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The roots and young shoots are cooked as a vegetable.

Traditional Uses

The roots and young shoots are cooked as a vegetable.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Borscht derives from an ancient soup originally cooked from pickled stems, leaves and umbels of common hogweed. The young shoots are considered excellent eating by many foragers. In eastern European countries and especially Romania, H. sphondylium is used as an aphrodisiac and to treat gynecological and fertility problems and impotence. It is also sometimes recommended for epilepsy. However, there are no clinical studies to prove its efficacy at treating any of these problems. The seeds can be dried and used as a spice, with a flavour similar to that of cardamom.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Balkans, Bosnia, Europe,

Synonyms

Heracleum orsinii Guss.

Also Known As

Medvjedja sapa

References (1)

Redzic, S. J., 2006, Wild Edible Plants and their Traditional Use in the Human Nutrition in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 45:189-232 (As Heracleum orsinii)