Zizania latifolia

Cultivation

Zizania latifolia is grown as an agricultural crop across Asia. The success of the crop depends on the smut fungus Ustilago esculenta. The grass is not grown for its grain, as are other wild rice species, but for the stems, which swell into juicy galls when infected with the smut. When the fungus invades the host plant it causes it to hypertrophy; its cells increasing in size and number. Infection with U. esculenta prevents the plant from flowering and setting seed so the crop is propagated asexually, by rhizome. New sprouts are infected by spores in the environment, which is generally a paddy. The galled stems are harvested as a vegetable known as jiaobai(sun) (simplified Chinese: 茭白(笋); traditional Chinese: 茭白(筍); pinyin: jiāobái(sǔn); Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kha-pe̍h-(sún)) in China. Its Japanese name is makomotake. The galled section of the stem is 3 to 4 centimeters (1.2 to 1.6 in) wide and up to 20 centimeters (10 in) long. This vegetable has been grown for at least 400 years. It is popular for its flavor and tender texture, and it is eaten raw or cooked. Its taste resembles fresh bamboo shoots. It stays crisp when stir-fried. The main harvesting season is between September and November. This is typhoon season in parts of Asia, a time when many other vegetables are unavailable. This makes the product more attractive to consumers.