Edible Hostas

I first read that hostas are edible in Alys Fowlers "The Thrifty Forager" a couple of years ago. Being tight frugal meant that I wasn't going to buy plants to try something that might not taste very good. However the other day I was having a walk around the garden and noticed that there was a hosta hidden away and looking rather unhealthy in a neglected wooden planter that's holding up our patio (the patio is on the to-do list!). 

Some hostas hidden in an old planter

 I decided to dig it up and show it a bit of TLC, divide them into three plants and re-pot them. 

Dug up and having a soak before being potted up

 Hopefully they'll do well for a new bit of compost and a regular watering and then when they've recovered I'll plant them out with plans to harvest young shoots to eat in the spring.

In some pots for a bit of TLC, we'll see how they'll do.

Apparently in Japan they harvest wild hostas as a cash crop from the forests and they're called urui. A Google search gives loads of recipes for stir fries, tempura & salads. There's a few different things on it here, here and here if you're interested.

Another unusual edible in the garden, hopefully they will put a bit of variety in our diet in early spring when they're isn't much else about growing. Apparently the different varieties taste quite different so only time will tell if this variety is worth eating or not, if it turns out to not be great then I'll have to raid my mothers garden as she's got hundreds of hostas in her beautiful garden (although I have a feeling she may object to that!).

Anyone else tried eating hostas?