Yomogi mugwort

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Mugwort (yomogi)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All spring
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

Yomogi よもぎ (艾蓬, 蓬　ヨモギ) mugwort
Artemisia princeps
Beifuß



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Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort or common wormwood) is one of several species in the genus Artemisia with names containing mugwort. It is also occasionally known as Felon Herb, Chrysanthemum Weed, Wild Wormwood, or St. John's Plant (not to be confused with St John's wort). It is native to temperate Europe, Asia and northern Africa, but is also present in North America where it is an invasive weed. It is a very common plant growing on nitrogenous soils, like weedy and uncultivated areas, such as waste places and roadsides.

Food
The leaves and buds, best picked shortly before the plant flowers in July to September, were used as a bitter flavoring agent to season fat, meat and fish. In Germany, known as Beifuß, it is mainly used to season goose, especially the roast goose traditionally eaten for Christmas. From the German, ancient use of a sprig of mugwort inserted into the goose cavity, comes the saying "goosed" or "is goosed".

Mugwort is also used in Korea and Japan to give festive rice cakes a greenish color. After the cherry trees bloom in Korea, hordes of bonneted grandmothers collect wild mugwort. It is a common seasoning in Korean soups and pancakes. Known as a blood cleanser, it is believed to have different medicinal properties depending on the region it is collected. In some regions, mugwort thins the blood, while in another region, it is proposed to have hallucigenic properties, leading to some bonneted grandmothers passing out from direct skin contact (dermal absorption) with the active chemicals. For this reason, Koreans also wear a silk sleeve when picking mugwort plants.

In the Middle Ages Mugwort was used as part of a herbal mixture called gruit, used in the flavoring of beer before the widespread introduction of hops. Once again, it is possible that drinkers of the beer were not only intoxicated from the beer, but also from the hallucinogenic properties of the plant.

In Korea, this herb is often used as a flavouring for soft ricecakes (called "sook-dok" or so-ok in current Korean common usage), soups, and other foods. Once cooked, the plant's hallucinogenic chemicals are neutralized.

The plant contains ethereal oils (such as cineole, or wormwood oil, and thujone), flavonoids, triterpenes, and coumarin derivatives. It was also used as an anthelminthic, so it is sometimes confused with wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). The plant, called nagadamni in Sanskrit, is used in Ayurveda for cardiac complaints as well as feelings of unease, unwellness and general malaise.

Mugwort is used in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine in a pulverized and aged form called moxa from which we derive the English word 'moxy'.
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yomogi iro よもぎ色 the color YOMOGI


said to drive away evil spirits

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kigo for all summer

natsu yomogi 夏蓬 (なつよもぎ) mugwort in summer
The plant has now grown large and deep green, the stem almost like a tree. It also has flowers now. It is considered quite a weed in many gardens, because of its abundant grow.
The following expression derives from this growth

hoohoo 蓬々, 蓬蓬 growing abundantly

The leaves have small white hair. They are dried and used for moxabustion herbs.


. Moxabustion (mogusa, o-kyuu) and kigo .


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Some uses of mugwort

yomogi shanpuu よもぎシャンプー shampoo with mugwort
yomogimizu よもぎ水 mugwort lotion


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Yomogi dishes よもぎ料理 yomogi ryoori
ヨモギ料理
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Boil and rinse well before use.
Used for mochi ricecakes, with seseme dressing or raw in tempura.


yomogicha よもぎ茶 tea from dried mugwort leaves
about 3 to 5 g for one cup
speciality of Niigata
can also be used in your bathtub.
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yomogipan, yomogi pan よもぎパン bread with mugwort
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yomogi zenzai よもぎぜんざい with sweet bean paste
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Echi no Goshiki Mochi 越の五色餅
Mochi in five colors, from Echi (Echizen/Echigo)
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Kusa mochi, yomogi mochi よもぎ餅 is a green variety of mochi flavored with yomogi (mugwort).
yomogi dango よもぎ団子（くさもち kusamochi）
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sasakomochi, sasako mochi 笹子もち mochi with yomogi and sweet beanpaste
When they get old and hard, they can be grilled to soften.

ＷASHOKU : Mochi Rice Dumplings



kankoromochi kankoro mochi かんころもち（甘古呂餅）
speciality of Goto Retto Islands, off Nagasaki
These mochi are not so hard and have a green color.
yomogi or sesame was also added to the mix.
WASHOKU : kankoro　かんころ　甘古呂 dishes with sweet potatoes


In Aomori at Osorezan, there is soft ice cream with yomogi (mugwort). It looks quite green and delicious.
Beifuss-Eis
Summer Drinks as Kigo


Momotaro Nabe 桃太郎鍋 hodgepodge from Okayama
The red demon is represented by mochi with red rice, whereas the green demon has yomogi mugwort mochi.
Okayama ... Momotaro Nabe


kusudama 薬玉 クスダマ
(kusuridama) yomogi as medicine
food with yomogi mugwort



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


Yomogi Manju with Daruma san
よもぎまん


From Kawasaki Daishi

. Kawasaki Daishi and Kukai Kobo Daishi　川崎大師 .


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HAIKU


kaisan no aida ni furusato ya yomogi-mochi

between sea and mountains
there is my homeland !
rural ricecakes

Matsumoto Yachiyo

yomogi-mochi are special rice cakes made from mugwort and provoke a feeling of homeland and mother's cooking.
Furusato and Haiku

. . . CLICK here for yomogi ricecake Photos !



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Related words

ＷASHOKU : Mori no Megumi
Food from the Bountiful Woods


***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS

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