Uturvande

Hosta er ein kjend pynteplante som også kan etast. Me hadde hosta i den gamle hagen som voks ganske så godt i skuggen. Sniglar er visst veldig glad i dei, men me fekk berre nokre småhol i blada.

There is a reason slugs love hostas – they taste great. The asparagus-like, unfurled spikes can be eaten raw or steamed, and once the leaves have emerged they can be steamed or boiled. But eat them young: once the leaves mature, they become bitter and unpalatable. (Alys Fowler, Gardens: foraging in your own back yard, The Guardian)

It seems to be an open question whether every single species of hosta is edible and therefore whether it is a good idea to try any unidentified hosta that you may happen across. The species I have eaten regularly myself are H. sieboldiana, montana and longipes. Martin Crawford lists H. crispula, longipes, montana, plantaginea, sieboldii, sieboldiana, undulata and ventricosa. Plants for a Future add H. clausa, clavata, longissima, nigrescens, rectifolia and tardiva and list no known hazards for the genus as a whole. This covers all the common ornamental species except H minor, which probably isn’t worth it anyway, and H fortunei, which must be edible since the most popular variety of it, ‘Sagae’ originally arose in hostas being grown for food in Sagae City in Japan. On the basis of that I’m happy to try any hosta myself, but if you’re going to do that, remember to try only a small piece first and test for a skin reaction by rubbing a piece on your skin before putting anything in your mouth. (scottishforestgarden)