Ugsuuteq (N); Ugyuuteq (S) (locally Putchki)
Heracleum lanatum Michx.
Plant
Cow parsnip is a tall herbaceous plant than can reach eight feet tall. Its small, white flowers form large clusters at or near the top of the plant. The plant has stout, fleshy stems that become hollow with age and large, lobed leaves. Cow parsnip is common in open woods, meadows, and along streams.
CAUTION: Hairs on both the stem and leaves of cow parsnip plants irritate some people’s skin and cause rashes, blisters, and itching. This can occur even when the stem is peeled. Use this plant with caution.
Food: In spring, people peel and eat the young, tender, inner stems of cow parsnip. They eat the stems raw, dip them in oil, pickle them, add them to salads, soups, and stews, and cook them with fish.
Material: People use cow parsnip stems as straws and make them into toy pop guns and pipes. People wipe raw fish with the plant’s large leaves to remove slime. They also wrap raw fish or raw fish eggs in cow parsnip leaves, and line bowls with the leaves to add flavor during cooking.
