The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-04
VEGETABLES OF JAPAN
Experiments with lido Indicate that
1t Is Welcome Addition to Table
and Easy to Raise.

For persons who like novelty in their
food and in their gardens. an interesting
field for experiment is offered by the new
Japanese vegetable. udo. Nurserymen
have grown the udo under the name of
Arala Cordata for ornamental purposes,
for twenty years or more, but as a vege-
table it is still comparatively unknown.
On rich soil IT grows to a height OF ten
feet or more, producing a very orna-
mental mass OF large green leaves and,
in the late summer. long loose flower Ius-
tiers, sometimes three feet In length. In
appearance II is much like a larger
variety of the spikenard or petty moreI.
a native Of our woodlands.
The bIanched shoots of the udo have
a characteristic flavor. Properly pre-
pared they are delicious-or SO the au-
thor of bulletin 81. just published by the
United States Department. Of Agricul-
ture under the title OF Experiments
With lido. the New Japaneze Vegetable"
has found them. The plant REQUIRES little
to II yields approximately the same
amount of food for the table as aspara-
gus and is ready for use at about the
same time in the spring.
Dies Down I'm Autumn.
After the first frost 1t dies down each
autumn to come up again in the spring.
nltn as asparagus anu FnuDdTD 40. n
patch Of il can be forced each spring
tor at least six years and probably much
longer. The flowers attract bees and
flies in such numbers that field Of IL
is usually hummng with insects. AS a
honey plant therefore. the udO deserves
the attention OF beekeepers.
Perhaps the greatest difficulty con
nected with the cultivation Of the I'D
IS the blanching Of the sheet-. II is
hat
caCy. for the flavor OF the stems when
green has a certain rankness which il
unpleasant to most Palates. Various
methods of blanchinK the early shoots
have therefore been experimental with.
In California excellent results have been
obtained by moundinG up the earth IN
the early spring over each plant much as
Is done with asparagus. Elsewhere. how
ever. the late frosts make the soil too
cold and the shoots are slow in coming
through.
In the cooking Of udo there is still
abundant room for innOvators. In all
experiments. however one thing must
he remembered. When raw. the stems
contains resinOUS substance which
gives them a decided. and to many per
sons. unpleasant taste Of nine. Il ..
however. easy TO eliminate this by soak
ing thin slices OF the stems in iCe-Cold
water for an hour or two. or by boiling
them in two or three waters. as Il often
done with strong-aavOred vegetables.
The author Of the bulletin. who has been
exDerimentin- for eight vear< with udo
on his MARYLAND farm. suggests the
three following recipes as samples II
what can he done with the vegetable.
lido on Toast.
Peal the shoots and drop them into
cid water cut them into f"ur-lr N
lengths Boil them in salt water for
len minutes then change the water. add
ing a fresh quantity Of sailed water
and BOILING until quite soft. Pr"parH
A white sauce. such as is used for cauli-
flower or asparagus soft Serve on toast
in the usual way. II there is too much
Of the pine flavor. as there may be II
The shoots are rot thoroughly blancned.
second change OF water will remedy
this.
Peel the shoots. cut them into three
inch lengths and then split them into
thin shaVinSs. citing these fall int" ice
water rs they arc made. Allow them 10
soak in the water for half hour or
an hour. so as TO remove the r"sIn"us
material in them. Serve with a French
dressing Of pepper. salt. oil. and vinegar.
DO not dress the shavIGEs Until just be-
fore scrvi-E. as they become strlnGy on
standing in oil.
do Soup.
Remove the skin from the shoots. cut
in picC. : onc-half inch long and wash
thorouchiy in cold water. Cook until
tender and mash through ,Ulander.
Add n pint ard a half Of milk. one-haf
pint of cream. two tablcspoonfuls 0f but
ter. and one tablespoonful of flour. m!N-
ing the -four ana butte: until smooth.
Season with pepper and salt. Recipe
for one bunch Of ud". enough Tor nv
y, rSonS)
Just how popular the udo will ~, ONE
IL not predicted. 1t is desrab., how
ever. that amateurs experiment with. II
for 1t is not 1t all imposshl" tina, Udo
will prove valuab BILE addition to or
fable vegetables