Burdock

A particularly popular root vegetable in Japan and slowly gaining popularity in other parts of Asia is the burdock root. Its level of popularity with the West hovers low, it was even said that no animals won’t eat it, only the donkeys would.

Gobo, as it is called in Japan, or niu pang as it is known in China, are cultivated for its sweet taste and medicinal properties. As a blood purifying agent, the burdock root cleanses the blood stream by removing toxins, lowering the sugar level in the blood, making it a natural cure for diabetics and elimination of uric acid, aiding in the treatment for gout and rheumatism. External wounds and ulcers can heal faster with a burdock root compress by exploiting its antibiotic properties.

Popular in the West, the burdock root oil extract or more commonly known as Bur Oil. It is popular as a scalp treatment. Filled with essential fatty acids, it combats dandruff and improves hair conditions.

In 1265, a soft drink named simply Dandelion and burdock was introduced. It was naturally fizzy and went under the same category of other soft drinks that taps on roots and marketed as a health benefit. Although this drink is still very much available in England now, caution is advised in regards of its authenticity.