Wild Food Guide — 'M'

This is the description page for Hop Plant (Humulus lupulus) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the wild foodstuff: Hop Plant.

The Hop vine, Humulus lupulus represent a member of a small genus of flowering plant in the Cannabaceae (hemp) family of plants. Although typically called a 'vine', the hop plant is technically a 'bine' in that it's scrambling habit is attained by the use of stiff stems and clinging haits (rather than tendrils, suckers or hooks). These plants are native to Europe, North America, Northern and Central Asia as well as Southeastern Asia, though the species typically used for brewing, Humulus lupulus, is native to Europe and Western Asia (though it has been naturalized in North America and Australasia).

Hop bines always grow by wrapping themselves clockwise around any solid structure and individual plants can grow between 2 to 15m tall. They are perennial herbaceous plants that send up new shoots in early spring and die back to the cold-hardy rhizome in autumn. Hop shoots grow very rapidly and at the peak of growth can grow 20–50cm per week. The leaves are opposite, with a 7–12cm petiole and cordate-based, palmately lobed blade 12–25 cm long and broad with edges that are coarsely toothed. Hop plants are dioecius (have both male and felale plants) and typically flower about the latter end of June or the beginning of July, with pendent flowers appearing in dense clusters. The hops themselves, which are the scaly seed-vessels of the female plants, are picked off by hand when the seed is formed (about the end of August) for use in brewing (with the seed vessels being air dried before use as a bittering agent).

During May, when the hop vines are pruned the fresh hop shoots can be cooked as an asparagus substitute. This practice is common in Italy and Pliny mentions the same practice occurring in the Roman empire 2000 years earlier. Indeed, the first use of hops was for the spring greens rather than their fruit. This Roman use of hops is why it's often mistakenly thought that hops were introduced to Britain by the Romans (they are a native plant). Indeed, it wasn't until 1067 when Hildegard of Bingen first used hops in the bittering of beer and hops weren't used in brewing in Britain until the early 1500s. If you have hop bines nearby then it's well worth collecting the shoots in May as they make an excellent spring vegetable.

Hop Frittata
Blanched Hop Shoots with Herbed Butter
Bruscandoli
Poached Eggs and Hops
Hop Shoots and Spring Onions
Hop Giardinara
Endive and Hop Gratin
Parma Ham and Hop Shoot Strata
Hop Shoot Purée
Hop Shoot Soup