Stachys sieboldii

Description

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. The underground stems or rhizomes are white. The stems above ground are 30-120 cm long. The leaf stalks are 1-3 cm long and the leaf blades are oval and 3-12 cm long by 1.5-6 cm wide. The base is wedge shaped. The flowers are red to purple. The nutlets are black-brown and oval. They are 1.5 cm across.

Edible Uses

The tubers have a crunchy texture and a sweet, nutty flavour. They can be eaten raw, pickled, dried or cooked. A wide range of uses for this vegetable leads to various dishes in the cuisine of many countries. They can be prepared similarly to Jerusalem artichokes. The leaves can be dried and made into a tea. In Chinese and Japanese cuisine, S. affinis is primarily pickled. In particular, its tuber is a part of Osechi, cooked for celebrating Japanese New Year. Dyed red by leaves of Perilla (red shiso) after being pickled, it is called chorogi. In Korea it is called choseokjam (초석잠). In French cuisine, its cooked tuber is often served alongside dishes named japonaise or Japanese-styled.

Traditional Uses

The rhizomes are eaten. The tubers are salted or preserved in plum vinegar. The leaves are eaten raw or boiled or salted. The tubers are usually boiled for a few minutes then eaten. They are also fried, roasted, steamed or pickled. They are pickled with ume plums and salt and Perilla leaves. The tubers discolor when exposed to air and lose flavour when peeled.

Medicinal Uses

In traditional Chinese medicine, the entirety of S. affinis is used as an agent to treat colds and pneumonia. In addition, root extract of S. affinis has shown antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, Baek et al. observed antioxidant activity in 2004. Also in 2004 inhibitory effects on acetylcholine esterase, monoamine oxidase and xanthine oxidase activities were observed in rat brains after 20 days of feeding with methanolic extracts of S. affinis. Ethanol extract from this plant also seems to have antitumour activity.

Distribution

It is a cool temperate plant. It can grow in cold places. They need a temperate climate, full sun and a well drained soil. In China it grows on wet hillsides and areas covered with water up to 3200 m altitude in northern regions. It needs a pH between 6-6.5 for best growth. It suits plant hardiness zones 4-8. Hobart Botanical Gardens. In Sichuan.

Where It Grows

Arabia, Asia, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Egypt, Europe, France, India, Inner Mongolia, Japan, Malaysia, Middle East, North Africa, North America, SE Asia, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tasmania, USA,

Cultivation

It can be grown from seed or tubers. Tubers can be planted 5 cm deep and 30 cm apart. The tubers are harvested after the plant dies back.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is cultivated in China. It is widely cultivated for its root tubers in Japan.

Notes

There are about 300 Stachys species. Chemical composition: leaves and tubers contain stachydrin; tubers contain stachyose and manneotetrose.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Choro-gi, Chorogi, Crosnes de Japan, Crosnes, Digua, Gan lu zi, Knotroot, Kon loh, Luosicai, Sieboldov čišljak, Tung tung chow

References (32)

• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 597
• Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavum 2:112. 1865
• Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 109
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1366 (As Stachys affinis)
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 137

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