Dokudami
Here in Japan, dokudami is extremely common. I have learned more recently that some people outside of Japan do use it, such as in Vietnam. It is grown in some places as a vegetable, but around here, it is mostly seen as a weed.
However, pretty much any Japanese grocery store sells dokudami tea, which is supposed to have a cleansing effect on the body.
There are small numbers of recipes on the Japanese side of the internet with recipes for it. I eat it myself, since my garden is full of it.
It spreads extremely rapidly, and the root system is extensive, so you have to keep it under control unless that is all you want to grow!
In English, some people call it fish mint. Is this plant something that you all are familiar with?
Comments
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I have never seen it, but am wondering if I saw a listing in the Richters catalogue for it.
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@LaurieLovesLearning I was just wondering if this plant was at all growing in North America or Europe. Maybe it hasn`t made its way over there yet. From what I understand, it is quite nutritious. It is supposed to have a fishy taste, but I really don`t taste that. If you plant it in your garden, you will never get rid of it. Interesting that someone is selling it in a catalogue. (Hopefully it comes with a warning! 😉)
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Here it is:
and a variation:
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Yeah, that is houttuynia - it is an excellent antiviral herb. In America, it can be considered an invasive weed, but many people grow it as a fast spreading, shade loving ground cover, especially the variegated varieties. It is often called "hot tuna" because of its fishy smell.
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@LaurieLovesLearning Wow, people really are buying it! I am glad that it comes with a warning. It has such deep roots and they spread so far, that you really should only plant it in the garden if you want a ton of it.
@judsoncarroll4 Huh, and here I thought that I was going to introduce a new plant that people on the other side of the world wouldn`t have heard of . You all all too smart for me. 😁 I`m amazed, though, that people would grow it as a ground cover, because I was actually thinking of growing ground cover to get rid of my excessive houttuynia!
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Nah, not that smart.... antivirals have been the big topic since COVID
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@judsoncarroll4 That plant grows everywhere here, and yet almost nobody seems to eat it. (Although, as I mentioned, tea is sold at all the grocery stores. Yet making your own dokudami tea is all but unheard of). It is an untapped research! I suppose that is the story of many weeds.
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Have you tried isatis? It is an antiviral herb/vegetable in the cabbage/brassica family that is even funkier!
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@judsoncarroll4 Why do you call it 'funky'? Is it the smell or the taste?
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Both for that one - it smells like rotten cabbage and tastes about the same.
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@judsoncarroll4 It`s not something that I am familiar with. Thank you for the information.
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I am glad you explained what it is, because it looks exactly like my red Malabar spinach I grow. It does not have invasive roots but drops a bunch of seeds so you rarely ever have to replant it.
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@gardneto76 That`s interesting to know. If it was dokudami, you would have a hard time pulling it out without leaving behind part of the roots. The roots are extremely long and deep and branch out all over the place.
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@Kuri and Kona Malabar spinach also loves hotter locations but no fish smell or taste. It is not an exact match for spinach but is very nutritious. I may have to try some of the dokudami in a pot to keep it controlled. I grow all of my mint families in pots.
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@gardneto76 Despite the name, I don`t believe that fish mint is in the mint family. It spreads like mint, however. The roots are extremely long and thick. The taste is unusual, so perhaps you might enjoy eating something different. I munch on it all the time when I am working in my garden.
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Thanks everyone I learned something new today and that's always a good thing.
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Hmmm one of the Richter's description says it has a fish-like flavor so I wonder if it can be used in place of fish sauce in vegan dishes ... hmmm.
I may have to get it and try it!
Thanks @Kuri and Kona for introducing me to a new plant!
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@Lisa K I never can taste the supposed fishy taste, but that might just be me. Also, the picture of what I am growing (or rather, what has moved into my garden), seems to be a slightly different variety (sub-species?) than what is listed in the catelouges earlier on in this thread. It may be that the varieties sold in the US have a fishier taste, or perhaps, it really is that I just don`t register the taste as fishy (but others might).
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@omi I learn something new here almost every time I get on. It is a very helpful place. 😃
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@Kuri and Kona Thank you for teaching us about a new plant, how invasive it really is, and that the thick roots go deep.
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