scorzonera; Spanish salsify; viper's grass
A root vegetable with a dark skin and white flesh, known as scorzonera or black salsify. The Japanese name literally means 'chrysanthemum burdock'.
Scorzonera looks like burdock, but it is a plant of the Asteraceae family.
At this restaurant, scorzonera soup is a popular menu item.
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling; usually written in kana.
Full kanji spelling; 牛蒡 is a rare ateji for ごぼう and this form is seldom used.
Katakana spelling; used especially in botanical or culinary contexts, or for emphasis.
From 菊 (chrysanthemum) + ごぼう (burdock), referring to the plant's chrysanthemum-like flowers and burdock-like root. The exact origin of the name is uncertain.