Polk-Salad Annie

Polk salad is a toxic plant containing phytolaccatoxin and phytolaccigenin. These substances are toxic to mammals and may cause death. Polk salad is however eaten in the Southeren United States. The young greens should be boiled and drained three times to purge the toxins before they are fried in hot oil or bacon fat with eggs. Polk salad likley gained popularity in the south during hard times when people had little else to eat.

"Polk Salad Annie" is a 1968 song written and performed by Tony Joe White. It was recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Its lyrics describe the lifestyle of a poor rural Southern girl and her family. Traditionally, the term to describe the type of food highlighted in the song is polk or poke sallet, a cooked greens dish made from pokeweed. Its 1969 single release peaked at Number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vkYVWA6yzY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCPYbys5yRY

https://www.saveur.com/poke-sallet