This Toxic Kentucky Weed Is Actually a Key Ingredient in a Traditional Southern Dish

Do you remember the old Tony Joe White song "Polk Salad Annie"? Growing up, I loved the song but had no idea what he was talking about. I heard "alligators," "chain gangs," and "straight razors"...that's what kept me listening.

Poke Salad

It wasn't until much later that I realized White had deliberately misspelled the title's first word. That was the same time it learned that poke, not "polk", salad was not just some fictional dish created to be part of an entertaining song. Poke salad is so-named because pokeweed is its key ingredient. By the way, should you see a can of these greens, you'll probably think I misspelled it, too.

Toxic Pokeweed

Both ways are acceptable. What's not acceptable is that part of the pokeweed, commonly found in Kentucky, is toxic and should never be consumed. That's right. There's a tasty southern dish that requires the inclusion of a toxic weed. However, if you boil the young leaves and stems for five minutes, throw out the water, add fresh water, and then reboil, you'll be fine. The leaves and stems are the only parts of poke weed that are recommended for consumption. The roots and berries, though, are another story.

These guys accomplished all the necessary precautions and dug in. Here's what they did and their "review"...

According to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a half teaspoonful of poke weed root and ten or more of the berries can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and an oral burning sensation. Dehydration would be a byproduct of the first two.

I love any kind of greens and am willing to give poke salad a go. But I don't think I'll take a chance that I'll screw something up and, instead, will head to the canned goods aisle of my favorite grocery store.