Japanese knotweed is among the most difficult to deal with invasive plant species in the United States. Luckily, one TikTok content creator has a helpful tip for what you can do when you encounter it: Eat it up.
The scoop
"You can use knotweed to do a lot of cool things like pickles or desserts," Alexis Nikole (@alexisnikole) informed her 4.4 million followers. "But I'm going to show you how to make a super quick, super fast, super easy, delectable dip."
@alexisnikole HOW TO EAT THE WORLDS MOST INVASIVE PLANT 🌱 #japaneseknotweed ♬ original sound - Alexis Nikole
To make the dip, Alexis stripped the leaves off some of the shoots of knotweed, put them into a pot with heated neutral oil, and added salt, sugar, and vinegar. Then she simply mashed up the cooked shoots with a fork, and the dip was ready.
"It tastes amazing," one commenter concluded.
Alexis also made sure to warn her viewers about unintentionally spreading the invasive species in the process of harvesting and cooking it. She advised everyone to make sure they don't drop any of the plants in the process of collecting them and to boil the leaves and scraps before throwing them away.
How it's working
Japanese knotweed can be a real problem for homeowners and gardeners. According to the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, Japanese knotweed is "a very aggressive escaped ornamental that is capable of forming dense stands, crowding out all other vegetation and degrading wildlife habitat."
It is also incredibly hard to get rid of once it's established. One potential homebuyer in the United Kingdom abandoned a property after learning that Japanese knotweed had taken root there.
Eating invasive species can be a great way to help control their populations while giving yourself a tasty treat at the same time. The same approach has been applied to the invasive lionfish and other species.
What people are saying
Alexis' followers were delighted by the tip and excited to try some invasive plant recipes for themselves.
"I love using knotweed puree as a pasta sauce," one commenter wrote. "I just made some and I'm so excited."
"I have these growing in my yard!" another said.
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