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Giant butterbur facts for kids

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Giant butterbur
FukiJI1.jpg
Adult fuki
Petasites japonicus.jpg
Fuki shoot
Scientific classification
Genus:
Petasites
Species:
japonicus
Butterbur, (fuki), raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 59 kJ (14 kcal)
3.61 g
0.04 g
Protein
0.39 g
Vitamins Quantity
%DV
Thiamine (B1)
2%
0.02 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
2%
0.02 mg
Niacin (B3)
1%
0.2 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
1%
0.032 mg
Vitamin B6
7%
0.096 mg
Folate (B9)
3%
10 μg
Vitamin C
38%
31.5 mg
Minerals Quantity
%DV
Calcium
10%
103 mg
Iron
1%
0.1 mg
Magnesium
4%
13 mg
Manganese
13%
0.274 mg
Phosphorus
2%
12 mg
Potassium
22%
655 mg
Sodium
0%
7 mg
Zinc
2%
0.16 mg

Link to USDA Database entry
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults.

Petasites japonicus, also known as butterbur, giant butterbur, great butterbur and sweet-coltsfoot, is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to China, Japan, Korea and Sakhalin and introduced in Europe and North America. It was introduced to southern British Columbia in Canada by Japanese migrants.

It is dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on separate individuals. Occasionally, morphologically hermaphroditic (but functionally sterile) flowers exist.

Uses

The traditional preparation method for this vegetable involves pre-treating with ash or baking soda and soaking in water to remove harshness (astringency), which is a technique known as aku-nuki (灰汁抜き, literally "harshness removal"). The shoot can be chopped and stir fried with miso to make fuki-miso which is eaten as a relish thinly spread over hot rice at meals. The bulb-like shoots are also picked fresh and fried as tempura. In Korea, it is steamed or boiled and then pressed to remove water. Sesame oil or perilla oil is added in order to make namul.

Toxicity

Like other Petasites species, fuki contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) which have been associated with cumulative damage to the liver and tumor formation. It also contains the carcinogenic PA petasitenine. The concentration of hepatotoxic PAs can be reduced to a concentration below detection limits with a proper extraction process. Since many alkaloids are bitter, traditional methods of preparation may have evolved to remove them.

Animal studies

Certain extracts of Petasites japonicus have found to be anti-inflammatory in a study of asthma in mice. Based on additional studies in mice, the plant may contain blood plasma and hepatic lipid-lowering and antioxidant compounds.

Folklore

The Ainu people refer to the previous inhabitants of Ezo as the Korpokkur or "people who dwelt below ground"; the name can also be interpreted as "people beneath the fuki", and so they are popularly associated with fuki leaves in art and mythology. More fantastic depictions of the Korpokkur portray them as tiny, fairy-like creatures small enough to use the leaves as roofs or umbrellas.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Petasite gigante o fuki para niños

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