The image, above, shows the full Arrowhead plant (Sagittariasagittifolia), left, with the maturing fruit, centre. Also
shown are close-ups of the flower (top right) and the edible
tubers, bottom right..
| Common Name: Arrowhead |
| Scientific Name: Sagittaria sagittifolia |
| Other Names: Arrow Head, Hawaii Arrowhead, Duck Potatoes, Katniss |
| Family: Alismataceae |
| Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, temperate Asia and N. America. |
Physical Characteristics
Sagittaria sagittifolia is a hardy wetland Perennial plant, growing to 1m (3 ft 3 in) by 0.5m (1 ft 8 in) in size. It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from July to August and its seeds ripen from August to September. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but flowers of both sexes can be found on any individual plant) and are pollinated by insects.
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| Edible Parts: Leaves, Tubers |
 Edibility Rating: 5 
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 Known Hazards: None Known.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Arrowhead along with all the Arrowhead containing recipes presented on this site, with 1 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Arrowhead as a major wild food ingredient.
Arrowhead, Sagittaria sagittifolia is a flowering wetland perennial belonging to the Alismataceae family of flowering plants. It is native to the wetlands most of Europe from Ireland and Portugal to Finland and Bulgaria, as and in Russia, Ukraine, Siberia, Turkey, China, Australia, Vietnam and the Caucasus. It is also cultivated as a food crop in some other countries. In the United Kingdom it is the only native member of the genus Sagittaria.
Sagittaria sagittifolia is a herbaceous perennial plant, growing in water from 10–50 cm deep. The leaves above water are arrowhead-shaped, the leaf blade 15–25cm long and 10–22cm broad, on a long petiole holding the leaf up to 45cm above water level. The plant also has narrow linear submerged leaves, up to 80cm long and 2cm broad. The flowers are 2–2.5 cm broad, with three small sepals and three white petals, and numerous purple stamens.
The leaves and tuberous root of the plant are edible and the tuber is large enough to make the plant worth cultivating. In China, the sub-species S. sagittifolia leucopetala, known as cigu, (Chinese: 慈菇; pinyin: cígû; literally: 'benevolent mushroom'), is extensively cultivated and its tuber is eaten particularly on the Chinese New Year. It tastes bland, with a starchy texture, similar to a potato but somewhat crunchier, even when cooked. Remains of the roasted tuber have been found in palaeolithic sites in Poland. The tubers are borne on the ends of slender roots, often 30cm deep in the soil and some distance from the parent plant. The tubers of wild plants are about 15cm in diameter and are best harvested in the late summer as the leaves die down.
The tuber is best when roasted and the bitter skin should be removed before eating. It can also be peeled and boiled, exactly like potatoes or eddoes (it makes an excellent substitute for turnips in stews and soups). The starch in the tubers is indigestible if consumed raw. When cooked, Arrowhead has a flavour that is starchy, sweet, and mildly fruity (rather like a blend of sweetcorn, potatoes blended with a hint of grapefruit oil). Their texture when mashed is very similar to potatoes, though perhaps a little drier and grainier. The tubers can also be dried and ground to a powder. The starchy powder can be used instead of potato starch as a thickener or in recipes. The powder can also be added as an adulterant to wheat flour. In the past, arrowhead tuber flour used to be cooked as a gruel.
Though somewhat acrid in taste, the leaves (before they unfurl) and slender stems of the plant can be cooked as a vegetable. The flower stalks before they blossom are also edible and are quite tasty when boiled. The flower petals can be eaten raw and have a delicate, slightly minty flavour. The the lateral tips of the growing rhizomes are also edible, raw or cooked.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Arrowhead as a major wild food ingredient.
Arrowhead, Sagittaria sagittifolia is a flowering wetland perennial belonging to the Alismataceae family of flowering plants. It is native to the wetlands most of Europe from Ireland and Portugal to Finland and Bulgaria, as and in Russia, Ukraine, Siberia, Turkey, China, Australia, Vietnam and the Caucasus. It is also cultivated as a food crop in some other countries. In the United Kingdom it is the only native member of the genus Sagittaria.
Sagittaria sagittifolia is a herbaceous perennial plant, growing in water from 10–50 cm deep. The leaves above water are arrowhead-shaped, the leaf blade 15–25cm long and 10–22cm broad, on a long petiole holding the leaf up to 45cm above water level. The plant also has narrow linear submerged leaves, up to 80cm long and 2cm broad. The flowers are 2–2.5 cm broad, with three small sepals and three white petals, and numerous purple stamens.
The leaves and tuberous root of the plant are edible and the tuber is large enough to make the plant worth cultivating. In China, the sub-species S. sagittifolia leucopetala, known as cigu, (Chinese: 慈菇; pinyin: cígû; literally: 'benevolent mushroom'), is extensively cultivated and its tuber is eaten particularly on the Chinese New Year. It tastes bland, with a starchy texture, similar to a potato but somewhat crunchier, even when cooked. Remains of the roasted tuber have been found in palaeolithic sites in Poland. The tubers are borne on the ends of slender roots, often 30cm deep in the soil and some distance from the parent plant. The tubers of wild plants are about 15cm in diameter and are best harvested in the late summer as the leaves die down.
The tuber is best when roasted and the bitter skin should be removed before eating. It can also be peeled and boiled, exactly like potatoes or eddoes (it makes an excellent substitute for turnips in stews and soups). The starch in the tubers is indigestible if consumed raw. When cooked, Arrowhead has a flavour that is starchy, sweet, and mildly fruity (rather like a blend of sweetcorn, potatoes blended with a hint of grapefruit oil). Their texture when mashed is very similar to potatoes, though perhaps a little drier and grainier. The tubers can also be dried and ground to a powder. The starchy powder can be used instead of potato starch as a thickener or in recipes. The powder can also be added as an adulterant to wheat flour. In the past, arrowhead tuber flour used to be cooked as a gruel.
Though somewhat acrid in taste, the leaves (before they unfurl) and slender stems of the plant can be cooked as a vegetable. The flower stalks before they blossom are also edible and are quite tasty when boiled. The flower petals can be eaten raw and have a delicate, slightly minty flavour. The the lateral tips of the growing rhizomes are also edible, raw or cooked.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Arrowhead recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 1 recipes in total:
Page 1 of 1
| Arrowhead Tuber Mash Origin: Britain |
Page 1 of 1