The flower buds or rather the receptacles (“hearts”) of the burdock are edible like the artichoke, and their individual inflorescences are very similar at first glance. In contrast to the artichoke, the ripe and unripe flower heads of the burdock are very small and unproductive as food. The bracts of the inflorescence are transformed at their ends into barbs with which the ripe fruit clusters cling to fur or clothing and spread through epichoria. The young leaves are edible as wild vegetables.

The long tap roots, on the other hand, are of much greater culinary importance.

• Edible Flower buds Leaves
• Also edible Roots
• Culinary Group Inflorescence Vegetables Wild Vegetables
• Taste neutral
• Trivial Names Große Klette, Butzenklette, Greater burdock, Edible burdock, Lappa, Beggar's buttons, Thorny burr, Happy major, Grande Bardane, Bardane officinale, Bardane commune, Glouteron, Bardane géante, Chou d'âne, Copeau, Grippe, Herbe au teigneux, Herbe aux pouilleux, Herbe aux seigneurs, Napolier, Oreille-de-géant, Bardana, Gobō, 牛蒡, ゴボウ, 牛蒡, Niúbàng, Ueong, 우엉
• Size (flower) 4 cm
• Taxonomy Asteraceae (Composite Family) Arctium lappa
• Origin Europe, Scandinavia (Map)
• Locality gathered, Mainufer in Frankfurt 2018