Rice root (Chocolate Lily)
Rice root bulbs
Rice Root
Rice root is also known as Indian rice or
Chocolate lily. It has a central bulb surrounded by many small bulbs similar in
appearance to white rice. Cleaning these tiny bulblets in preparation for
boiling is very time consuming, but once in a while for a treat it is worth it.
I find the taste and texture a cross between potatoes and rice.
The plant itself is a perennial, standing
anywhere between about 1 foot to 2 foot in height. The flower is bell shaped
and nodding, dark brown to dark purple with green to yellowish spots. The odor
is a bit like rotting meat. The stems are slender and the whorls of leave
tapering.
Distribution is in meadow or grassy areas
from sea level to alpine regions, This particular one is found in the Okanagan,
Similkameen , down through th lower Fraser Valley and one to the islands. There
is a similar one in the central interior and the northern coastal regions, but
I am not familiar with it.
Before picking some for a treat, look
around and make sure the crop can stand a little harvest. Enjoy.
Is there a book with this information - a field guide or whatever? If not, you should publish one! I'll be first in line to buy it from you :-)
ReplyDeleteI can't really remember having tried the rice root ... you'd think I remember a plant that smells a bit like rotting meat! You have to wonder who is the first person who takes a whiff and says, "Hmmm, I wonder what the roots of this plant would taste like?", don't you!
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