Stachys affinis

Tubers woundwort ( Stachys affinis )

The tuber Betony ( Stachys affinis Bunge, Syn. Stachys sieboldii Miq, Stachys tuberifera Naudin ), also Chinese artichoke, Japanese potato, potato tuber or Stachy called, is a flowering plant in the mint family ( Lamiaceae). She is originally native to northern China. Outside of China, Japan, India and New Zealand it is grown in significant quantities in France, Belgium and more recently in Switzerland.

• 4.1 Kitchen
• 4.2 Storage
• 4.3 ingredients

• 5.1 Notes and references

Description

The tubers woundwort grows as a perennial herbaceous plant, reaching heights of growth from 30 to 120 centimeters.

The approximately 8 centimeters long and 2 centimeters thick storage roots used as a vegetable with pearly, thin skin is caused by thickening of root ends of rhizomes. By medullary primary growth, these thicken especially at the internodes, much less at the nodes (nodes), there arise at irregular intervals "strangled " tubers, which are usually thin, tapered on both sides. The sprouting from March tubers remind us as a gut, a string of pearls, fat white caterpillars or " Michelin Man ". In the growth of the skin is not torn, as opposed to the bottom - Ziest where caused by scarring corkiness.

The constantly against the stem arranged leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The petiole is 1 to 3 inches long. The typical nettle -like, rough leaf blade is 3 to 12 centimeters long and 1.5 to 6 inches wide.

The flowering period extends from July to August. The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic with a double perianth. The five green sepals are fused about 9 millimeters bell shaped on a length. The five red to violet petals to about 9 mm long corolla tube overgrown.

Origin, taxonomy and history

The original homeland of the tuber Ziests are the northern and central Chinese provinces of Nei Monggol, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Xinjiang. He thrives on mountain slopes and on wet up under water areas at all altitudes up to 3200 meters.

Before tubers woundwort already a similar way, the Swamp Betony ( Stachys palustris ) was collected as a vegetable in the wild in pre-Christian times. In the Germanic Upright Ziest or heath Betony ( Stachys recta ) was an important medicinal plant. Drugs of the same kind were the ones used in pharmacies under the name " Herba Sideritis ". The Marsh Woundwort was ousted late 18th century through the cultivation of tubers woundwort.

The tubers woundwort 1882 was introduced by M. Pailleux at its factory in Crosnes and from 1887 grown in the small French town Crosne ( hence the term " Crosne du Japon "). Then the cultivation spread in the local home gardens. In Europe it is the only mint that is cultivated as a vegetable.

The species was named after the German -Dutch botanist and Japan researcher Philipp Franz von Siebold. The ( now obsolete ) Stachys sieboldii scientific name honors the explorer and botanist Philipp Franz von Siebold.

As early as 1909 it was reported in Germany that after " much publicity and shouting " wore off the interest for the tubers woundwort. Thus the popularity developed in Switzerland until 1945, after he was introduced at the end of the 19th century. Even in England can be found at 1937 tubers woundwort in cultivation, came in the 70s due to virenbehafteteten planting material to an almost complete halt. Drt tubers woundwort is also known for its very strong dispersal ability and his very strong growth. Therefore, it is now listed in the "Handbook of Alien Species in Europe" as an invasive plant in Europe.

Since about 1990, the artichoke is cultivated again increased and is offered at weekly markets and partly in retail.

Use

Cultivation and harvesting

Tubers woundwort forms under European Climate little to no flowers and inferior seeds, which is why he mainly vegetatively (via root tubers ) is increased. The nodules grow best at a daily average temperatures of 15 ° C. Tubers woundwort is a very tough, hardy herbaceous plant.

To facilitate harvesting in advance, a more sandy soil is selected. Like potatoes, they can in February, covered with fleece to arrive early, or only in April are set ( in March depending on weather). A planting depth of 10 cm has been proven. In the series keeping a distance of 40 cm and stores one or groups of up to three tubers. The web is about six weeks of culture. Denser stocks produce weak plants because of mutual competition. The rows may be angehäufelt for easier weed control, faster heating of the ground and easier to harvest dams. The dams have at best a distance of 40 to 50 cm. From planting in the summer is not to be recommended, because then the root development falls in the hot and dry season. Then you have a lot to be cast while early set plants are largely independent of the water with a good root system. Major works during growth are weeding and watering in very dry conditions. Fertilizers are right at the beginning of the culture or at very light, leaching from soils in several doses during culture. If you want to harvest large tubers, fertilization and adequate water supply is necessary. Tubers woundwort do not like drought. Fertilization is most three to four weeks after planting. French give recommendations for fertilization following amounts ( in kg / ha) at: 250 N, 100 P2O5, 280 K2O and MgO 80. Where the amount of nitrogen is split into several head -fertilization. For the main development of the aboveground plant from May to August temperatures around 23 ° C are best. Nodules develop until late in the culture. Irregular nodules caused by widely fluctuating temperatures during tuber growth. Under no circumstances should the plant be shortened above ground prematurely. One should not start well before November with the harvest as well. The plant dies back for the winter in November itself from, it can store a lot in the root tubers. The tuber growth is large, especially in the second half of culture. Temperatures vary during the tuber formation of strong, the nodules are rather bulky. A tuber planted under favorable conditions brings out 30 new per year. From October to November, the harvest can begin. It lasts until next year before the new growth in February. To protect against frost and for facilitating harvesting in winter leaves or straw can be applied with 15 to 20 cm. As harvests at 5-6 kg planted tubers already 250 to 450 kg / Are are given in 1904 by Vilmorin. This correspond to 1 kg tubers depending on size 400-450 single nodule. The large tuberous roots are used as a vegetable, while the small are kept for the next planting. Finally, it should be ensured that all nodules are recorded at harvest, because residual nodules for the succeeding crop up like weeds act. Nodules needed for this new culture are sorted out and embarked on a suitable location. However, not worth it for the economically standard extension to multiply more than two to three years itself, because the risk of yield reduction due to plant viruses increases. Therefore, it is purchased from meristem new virus-free planting material. Virus -free planting material can bring up to three times the amount of earnings.

Diseases and Pests

Lice are to fight due to virus transmission. Otherwise are not viruses themselves and root rot to mention that can be reduced earnings. In replica tubers woundwort should not be grown again after himself. Also spider mites occur in dry years.

Use

Kitchen

The tubers woundwort must not be peeled because of its very thin, unverkorkten skin. At most, the existing skin are easily rubbed off with a kitchen towel. It is for skinning too small and unwieldy. It is boiled, fried in fat / oil or eaten raw in salads. The rhizome tubers taste like a mixture of artichoke, cauliflower and salsify. In China and Japan, where it is cultivated for centuries and can be found at the weekly markets, the tubers are eaten raw, steamed in a wok, pickled, or they are eaten sweetened with a special sauce. You can be the root but also in butter or as in Italy fry in oil.

Storage

The tubers start because of their very thin skin to wilt rapidly and are therefore only a few days after preparation. In air, the initially nearly white nodules are brown very quickly. In order to always have fresh tubers use the ground with leaves or straw is covered for insulation, so it does not freeze. This fresh tubers can always be harvested. It is also possible to harvest stock with subsequent short-term wrapping in moist clean sand. Thus, the nodules can be kept below 2 ° C for several months. Washed and cooled in the refrigerator they are one week.

Ingredients

The tubers contain stachyose, a type of sugar ( tetrasaccharide ), which is composed of two molecules of galactose and one molecule of fructose and glucose. Stachyose represents 63.5 % of the dry mass of the tuber dar. addition, the tuber contains 79.2 % water, 2.86 % protein, 0.11 % fat and 0.71 % fibers ( air dried ) after King.

Swell

• Xi -wen Li, Ian C. Hedge Stachys. Stachys sieboldii Miquel, pp. 181 - Registered as text printed work In: Wu Zheng -yi, Peter H. Raven (eds.): Flora of China. Volume 17: Verbenaceae through Solanaceae, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing and St. Louis in 1994, ISBN 0-915279-24- X ( section description)