Since I am wanting to grow comfrey as a chop and drop / composting plant here in the Philippines, I was surprised to see it is eaten in Kenya. They call it Mukimo. Here is a recipe video:
Chef Hussein Mukimo with Comfrey - A Healthy and Delicious Recipe from Kenya
Because there are reported concerns of eating this plant:
Eating Comfrey Plants: A Complicated Traditional Food
As a medicinal herb this one is a classic with some great humor
Is Comfrey Safe for Home Use? The Comfrey Conundrum
If it can be grown in tropical Kenya it should grow here in the Philippines.
I recently was informed that someone is selling comfrey plants in Manila at the famous plant selling area at Quezon City Memorial Circle. The problem is that the place is large and I don’t know what shop is selling it.
Galen, if you are planning to grow it as chop and drop, seems like there’s no need to be concerned about the nutritional aspects. But as far as the nutritional aspects are concerned, we grow it and eat it. I read a study that said the study that created the concern about eating it was based on eating huge amounts of it. Like eating 25 pounds a day or something like that. But, back to the topic of chop and drop, we too grow it as chop and drop and appreciate it’s contribution to the soil fertility.
We mostly use it as a vegetable cooked in soups or cooked with beans. But your question prompts me to wonder how it would be stirfried. Thanks for asking.
We grow it in quantity and continuously here in Virginia. You can propagate with a root cutting the diameter of a pencil 3 or 4 inches long just fine. Comfrey Tea is incredible as a liquid fertilizer.
Everyone be aware that many studies show Comfrey taken internally a liver toxin for human consumption. Do your own research.
For anyone concerned about toxic effects, chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), “manzanilla” in Spanish, may be a good alternative for tea. Unknown about its potential for liquid fertilizer, though it has been used as a repellent.
Robert (Beto) Walle
