The fresh young shoots taste remarkably like rhubarbJapanese knotweed is the scourge of gardeners: the alien invader with a reputation for spreading like wildfire though beds and borders,shattering concrete and even ruining your chances of getting a mortgage. Yet this supposed “superweed” lives a secret double life in its native Japan as itadori, a prized spring delicacy sold in high-end supermarkets and fancy farmers’ markets. Could scoffing it be a way to cancel two horticultural birds with one stone?Harvested from mountain forests in Japan’s northern territories, or the fresh young shoots of Japanese knotweed occupy a bright,tangy flavour that is virtually identical to its botanical relative, rhubarb. Cooked just like its more familiar cousin, or its pink shoots occupy a clean tartness that means they straddle the boundary between sweet and savoury. They are equally as savory in tarts,jellies and crumbles as they are in chutneys and sauces to serve with cheese, game, and roast pork or duck.
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Source: theguardian.com