I bought some devil’s tongue plant today thinking I’d just chop it up raw for a salad. Big mistake. Didn’t realize how tricky this thing could be.
First off, I washed it under cold water like any veggie. Looked like a weird ginseng root. Cut off the skin, chopped thin pieces, tasted one tiny piece raw. Yeah… bad idea. Tongue went all tingly and angry. Instant regret.
So I did what I do best: panic-Googled. Apparently it’s got irritating crystals that make your mouth numb until it’s prepped right.
Step-by-step what saved me (and my tongue):
- Peeled skin extra thick using knife not peeler.
- Cut chunks instead of slices.
- Made thick salt paste all over it, sat for 20 min.
- Rinsed til water went clear like people online said.
- Put chunks with couple potatoes & boiled hard 20 min first. Potatoes supposedly pull out the itch.
- Dumped water, boiled again fresh 15 more minutes.
Tested small piece after cooking. Still slightly tangy but felt way safer.
Now the cool part: Sliced it thin after cooking. Put in cold water with some rice vinegar while prepping sauce.
Made dressing with sesame oil, soy sauce, chili flakes. Threw thin devil’s tongue slices into big bowl. Added cucumber shavings. Tossed everything together.
Honestly? Not bad! Texture was like crunchy jelly—weird at first bite but kinda satisfying after. The burn? All gone. Would I make it again? Yeah but only if I have time & potatoes. This ain’t no quick snack. Took me whole hour start to finish.
Surprisingly nice with cold beer though. Worth the hassle? Only for showing off to guests.