Hosta La Vista, Baby!
I hate ornamentals that have no utility other than looking pretty. I’m sorry, but in the event of the zombie apocalypse, everything on my property better have a use so that myself and my family can survive, and tulips and daffodils definitely won’t help on that front. So why did I keep the hostas that had been planted by the previous owners of the house?
Grown for its ornamental value, it is also a little known edible. The Japanese consider it a “sansai” meaning, mountain vegetable, sold as “urui” or “kiboushi” in Japan. It grows wonderfully in sun and shade, tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, and is both water and drought tolerant.
But how do you eat it? Conventionally, people eat the young shoots when they first come out in spring, steamed, tempura battered and fried, boiled, or in soups, but all parts of this plant are edible. The issue is that when it gets later in the season, it becomes bitter and tough.
(If you are interested in learning more about the edibility of Hostas, check out Perfect Plant’s article: https://myperfectplants.com/2020/08/10/are-hostas-edible/)
In comes what I prefer eating–the buds of the flowers. Of course, this is only such a short season of picking: maybe 3 days (I happened to realize early this year and managed to get them before they opened), tops, when all of them are sending up their flower buds all at once.
I like to pick the buds before they’re open, when they’re at their most tender, batter it (batter recipe below) and fry it. Garnished with pickled ginger, or swimming in a lemon soy base, it’s absolutely delicious, and the taste and texture is like that of fried artichoke hearts. There is a very, very slight bitterness, depending on your variety, but so soft I hardly even notice.
This is my favorite batter recipe, and works well for all vegetables, chicken, and fish. My husband would inhale this batter if he could and he’d die a happy man.
Recipe
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder
- 1 egg
1. You can either mix the egg in or use it as a wash. Both ways are good, but I’m lazy so I simply mix it in. Fry in vegetable oil (or duck fat) until golden and place on a paper towel to drain.
2. Equal parts soy sauce and lemon juice, with a .5 part dashi stock for a dipping sauce (with grated daikon if you have) works as a delicious dipping sauce, as does sriracha mayo. I’m sure you can also sautee it with some butter and garlic and it would be just as divine.