''Doellingeria scabra'' is a perennial herb of the family

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae ...

from Eurasia. It is frequently found in wild mountain regions of Korea, eastern Russia, China, and Japan.

Distribution

''Doellingeria scabra'' is native to Eurasia. It is actively cultivated in temperate regions of Korea for varying uses.

Habitat and ecology

''Doellingeria scabra'' is found in woods and thickets, especially on hills and low mountains. Forest clearings and warm temperate areas suit it well. Moist soil and sunny conditions are ideal for this plant. It can be cultivated in lightly sandy, loamy, or clay soils with adequate drainage and cannot grow in the shade.''Aster scaber - Thunb'', PFAF Plant Database, Accessed May 5, 2014, http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Aster+scaber

Description

''Doellingeria scabra'' grows up to 1.2 meters (4 ft) tall. Its stems stand erect. Its hermaphroditic flowers bloom between August and October. Its seeds ripen between September and November. Insect pollinators such as bees and flies aid pollen exchange. It is capable of self-fertilization. The green leaves are cordate-shaped and have palmate venation. Leaf edges are serrated–jagged and resemble saw blades.

Trichome Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a pla ...

s can be found all over its surface.

Use

Culinary

Korea

''Doellingeria scabra'' thrives in the dry mountain ranges of Korea. It is known for its distinctive fragrance and taste, and is frequently used in

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural env ...

. Known among locals for its medicinal use, studies show it contains many beneficial compounds. Its Korean name is ''chamchwi'' (, "true chwi"), and it is often simply referred to as '' chwinamul'' by the Korean locals. Either stir-fried or blanched, it is often used as the main ingredient of herbal side dishes called ''

namul Namul ( ko, 나물) refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (, "mountain namul"), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (, "spring namul"). On t ...

''. Blanched ''chamchwi'' can be pounded with rice and steamed to make a variety of ''

tteok ''Tteok'' ( ko, 떡) is a class of Korean rice cakes made with steamed flour made of various grains, including glutinous or non-glutinous rice. Steamed flour can also be pounded, shaped, or pan-fried to make ''tteok''. In some cases, ''tteok' ...

'' (rice cake), called ''chwitteok''. Stir-fried ''chamchwi'' can be used as a wrapping vegetable in a ''

ssam ' (), meaning "wrapped", refers to a dish in Korean cuisine in which, usually, leafy vegetables are used to wrap a piece of meat such as pork or other filling.

'' (wrap) dish called ''chwissam'', wrapping pork and other vegetables and tied with wild chives. Sometimes, fresh ''chamchwi'' is brined and made into water

kimchi ''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including '' gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), spr ...

with

liquorice Liquorice (British English) or licorice (American English) ( ; also ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted. The liqu ...

broth, called ''chamchwi-kimchi''. It is also one of the ingredients that frequently feature in

bibimbap Bibimbap * ( , from Korean , literally "mixed rice"), sometimes romanized as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish. The term "bibim" means "mixing" and " bap" refers to cooked rice. ''Bibimbap'' is served as a bowl of warm white rice ...

recipes. It can be used as a flavoring herb in kimchi,

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domesticate ...

, and even Korean-style Italian

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are ...

dishes.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q12618577 scabra Korean vegetables Namul