Myoga Japanese Ginger

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Japanese ginger (myooga)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

kigo for late spring

myoogatake (みょうがたけ) 茗荷竹 "myoga bamboo"
sprouts of the myoga
It is often grown in houses. They can get about 40 cm long.
They are a delicacy to eat fresh or in soup.

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kigo for late summer

myooga no ko 茗荷の子 "children of myoga"
the sprouts coming out near the root. In the wild, they come out of the ground like the bamboo sprouts. If they grow, a flower will come out at the end.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

myoogajiru 茗荷汁 soup with myoga

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kigo for early autumn


flowers of myoga, myooga no hana,
茗荷の花 (みょうがのはな)
They grow new ones day after day and look almost like orchids.


autumn myoga, aki myooga 秋茗荷（あきみょうが）


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kigo for the New Year

Myoga Festival, myoga matsuri
myooga matsuri 茗荷祭 (みょうがまつり)
Japanese Ginger rite
take no ko shinji 筍神事（たけのこしんじ）
Bamboo shoots Ritual

at 阿須々伎神社の茗荷, 阿須須伎神社
Shrine Asusuki Jinja is famous for its myoga divination during the Myoga Festival.
On the third day of the new year (now on the Setsubun, 3rd day in February) they use myoga to divine the outcome of the rice crop for the year. The myoga is grown in a special field in the shrine compounds (shinden 神田).
Kyoto, Kanego-uchi 金河内(かねごうち), Ayabe city.


Here is a similar festival at a different place

At the shrine Menuma Jinja in Hyogo prefecture
Shinonsen Town, 新温泉町の面沼神社で お茗荷祭り
兵庫県美方郡新温泉町竹田
The crest of this shrine is the myooga, see below.

On February 11 the festival is held in honor of a small patch of myoga that can be harvested in winter, it grows on a small island in the pond "Menu no Ike" 女奴池（めぬのいけ) of the shrine. It is bright green in winter in the snow, a very special kind of plant and one of the seven strange things of the Tajima area 但馬七不思議.

The festival starts at 6.30 in the morning, when the priest enters the small pond and takes some samples of the sprouts. According to the form of the buds and root and the pinkish shine, it is used to predict the harvest of the coming year. After the festival, special myoga mochi for 100 persons, myoga sushi for 50 persons and some tea of the local black beans is given to the visitors.
They all shout
"May we enjoy a long life! myooga medetaya 命賀めでたや".

In olden times, it was forbidden for women to participate. Today, the villagers come together, sometimes only 30 people of the community.
. . . CLICK here for Photos of the festival !


There is a song when you pound mochi rice which also includes myoga and fuki
Myoga medetaya Fuki hanjoo みょうがめでたや

こなたお背戸にゃ
茗荷(ミョウガ)や
蕗(フキ)や
冥加(ミョウガ)めでたや
富家繁盛


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INFORMATION : Zingiber mioga　
Myoga 茗荷 grows wild in my own garden in Okayama.

Its name might go back to a word of the same pronounciation 冥加, the divine protection of Japanese kami gods and Buddhist deities, divine happiness and blessings. Myoga will ward off evil.
It is also the symbol of the esoteric deity Madarajin 摩多羅神, see below, and therefore thought to be an auspicious plant and food. Its form is often used for crests of temples and shrines.

Sometimes called one of the"wasei haabu", 和製ハーブ　Japanese herbs.
It is said to be slightly anaesthetic and ward off a cold in winter.

Most myoga is grown in Koochi in houses, in Gunma and Akita in the open, and the myogatake is grown in Miyagi prefecture.


legend knows this
One of the disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni, Culapantaka (Cuuda-pantaka) , had a hard time memorizing things and could not remember his own name, and even when Shakyamune places a name plate around his neck, he forgot to look at it and finally died without remembering his name. On his grave a strange plant started to grow. In a play of words it was called: "He did not even remember his name and had a hard time" 彼は自分の名前を荷って苦労してきた, taken the two Chinese characters for 名荷 and placed the plant radical on top of the first character 茗荷.



There is a proverb saying:
If you eat a lot of myoga,
you will loose your memory. 　

So there is a rakugo funny story ”Myoga yadoya　茗荷宿屋” about this, when the owner of a small lodging facility tried to cheat a visitor about money, but ended up not getting his services payed, since his guest forgot to pay when he left and he forgot to remind him of the payment.
(In fact, as a Chinese medicine, myoga is used against memory loss.)


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source : http://crystalrays.org/
Myoga is also the name of the bird that helps bring the lover stars Altair and Vega together on Tanabata, the night of the Star festival.
WKD : Star Festival (Tanabata)

For the O-Bon festival in Western Japan, people make decorations of a cucumber horse, an eggplant cow and a myooga sticking out with its long white part like this bird.


If someone is posessed by a fox spirit キツネッタカリ, you should give him myoga to eat, since foxes do not like this taste.
http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/YoukaiCard/2360020.shtml


Myoga patterns are often used as family crests.
茗荷の家紋 myooga no kamon, coat of arms


source : http://www.harimaya.com/o_kamon1/zukan/myouga.html

daki myooga 抱き茗荷　two myoga plants embracing

This is one of the 10 most famous family crests in Japan.
kamon, Familienwappen

The family crest of
gyooyoo 杏葉 Gyoyo is very similar.
Family crest "Daki-gyoyo"
The Gyoyo-mon was used in various ways as a family crest of the Nabeshima family. The exhibition room is filled with splendid lacquerware and gorgeous artifacts of the daimyo.
- reference and photos : -

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Myōga (茗荷) Myōga or myoga ginger
(Zingiber mioga, Zingiberaceae) is an herbaceous, deciduous, perennial native to Japan and other East-Asian countries that is grown for its edible flower buds and flavorful shoots. Flower buds are finely shredded and used in Japanese cuisine as a garnish for miso soup, sunomono and dishes such as roasted eggplant.

A traditional crop in Japan, myoga has been introduced to cultivation in Australia and New Zealand for export to the Japanese market.
As a woodland plant myoga has specific shade requirements for its growth. It is frost-tolerant to 0F, -18C possibly colder.
While some constituents of myoga are cytotoxic, others have shown promise for potentially anti-carcinogenic properties.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Myoga is one of the TSUMA additions for a good sushi.
WASHOKU : Ken Tsuma Karami and Sashimi

Myoga as an addition to sashimi, tsuma, like a good wife, should bring the taste of the original out and therefore the sprout has to be cut into very fine slices.

There are two types used for food and most are best at the end of summer toward autumn, a plant bringing autumn on the table:


hanamyooga 花茗荷（はなみょうが） "flower myoga",
the buds itself 花蕾 (tsubomi)




myoogadake 茗荷竹 "myoga bamboo" like a stick
fudemyooga 筆茗荷 ふでみょうが "like a brush"
It is white at the bottom and has a pinkish shine.
(one of the vegetables of Kyoto)
kyoo myooga 京みょうが Myoga from Kyoto
This is best eaten in spring.



A special brand is grown in Kanto, known as
Maebashi Myooga 前橋みょうが.


There used to be a brand Kohinata myooga 小日向茗荷 in Tokyo
but now only two place names remind us of the vast fields that used to be in this area (and an old lady growing this kind in her back yard).

Myoga Slope, myoogazaka 茗荷坂 （みょうがざか）
. . . CLICK here for Myogazaka Photos !
Myoga Valley, myoogadani 茗荷谷
. . . CLICK here for Myogadani Photos !
At the Myoga Valley, there used to be a stone statue of a small Jizo Bosatsu. When villagers went get a doctor for a very ill person, they came past this statue. If it was there as usual, the ill person would be all right, but if the stone statue faced the other sice, the doctor could not help any more.
http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/YoukaiCard/2180085.shtml



aemono, used like a dressing
... with tuna fish シーチキン和え
... with tarako たらこ和え


hiyajiru 冷汁 cold soup
with miso and myoga, good in summer


myooga dengaku ミョウガ田楽
on a stick, grilled with red miso

myooga gohan ミョウガご飯 rice with myoga

myooga no misoae, miso-ae 茗荷の味噌和え
myoga with a miso dressing, a side dish for summer
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


myooga no pikkurusu 茗荷のピクルス
pickles with myoga 赤梅酢浅漬け
with the red vinegar juice of pickled plums (umesu)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


myooga no su-ae ミョウガ酢和え
myoga with vinegar dressing


myooga to nasu no misoshiru 茄子と茗荷の味噌汁
miso soup with myoga and eggplant


myooga tenpura 天ぷら as tempura


myoogazushi みょうが寿司 sushi with myoga wrapped around sushi rice
from Toyama prefecture
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


tamagotoji 卵とじ with egg


myooga ryoori ミョウガ料理 dishes with myoga
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
http://www.geocities.jp/yamapon65/tisantisyou_myouga.html

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Worldwide use

Zingi-Ingwer. Sprossen vom Zingi-Ingwer.
Japanischer Ingwer.


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Things found on the way

Bull Festival of Uzumasa, 太秦の牛祭
God Madara, matara jin 摩多羅神
This is a Buddist festival for the Deity Matarajin. The God appears riding on the black cow. It is held in Kyoto on the 12th of October at the temple Kooryuu-Ji (Koryuji　広隆寺).

Matarajin, Madarajin (Matara Shin)
a protector of the Amida Sutra
By Gabi Greve

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Even today, there is a famous statue of a "string-bound" Jizo Bosatsu statue at Myogazaka in Tokyo.
"Shibarare Jizo" in Tokyo


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かく生きてかく忘れられ雪達磨
kaku ikite kaku wasurerare yuki daruma

thus lived
thus being forgotten
the snowman

Arima Akito 有馬朗人
Tr. Emiko Miyashita


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HAIKU

なにもなくもてなす吸物茗荷竹
nani mo naku motenasu suimono myoogatake

only a soup
to offer to visitors -
myoga like a brush

Satoo Minako 佐藤美奈子


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茗荷汁　たのしいことが　多すぎる　
myoogajiru tanoshii koto ga oosugiru

myoga-soup -
almost too many
good things

Ono Tamiko 小野冨美子

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茗荷竹朝餉に妻とかく生きて　　
myoogatake asage ni tsuma to kaku ikite

with myoga ginger
for breakfast thus I lived
with my dear wife

Kaneko Kirinsoo 金子麒麟草


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source : Yasoichi（やそいち）


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myooga no ko -
the roots of life
on my table


Gabi Greve
See more, August 2010



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Related words


kigo for mid-summer

***** hanamyooga, hana myooga 花茗荷 (はなみょうが)
Japanese alpinia
lit. "flower myooga"
Alpinia japonica



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WASHOKU : Ken Tsuma Karami and Sashimi

Kyooyasai, kyoyasai, kyosai 京野菜 / 京菜 Vegetables from Kyoto


***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS

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Konnyaku Konjak, Konyak

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Devil's-tongue (konnyaku)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Plant and Humanity

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Explanation

Konnyaku, konjac, konjak
Amorphophallus rivieri
refers to the plant and the food prepared with it.
Elephant foot, elephant jam, snake palm and voodoo lily are English names for it.


konnyaku uu 蒟蒻植う (こんにゃくうう )
planting konnyaku
kigo for late spring






konnyaku no hana 蒟蒻の花 (こんにゃくのはな)
konyaku flowers
kigo for mid-summer


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kigo for mid-winter

konnyakudama 蒟蒻玉（こんにゃくだま）konnyaku root
konnyaku horu 蒟蒻掘る (こんにゃくほる) digging for konnyaku roots
konnyakudama horu 蒟蒻玉掘る（こんにゃくだまほる）
Konnyaku-Knolle, Konjak-Knolle




Farmhouse in Gunma, drying konnyaku

konnyakudama hosu 蒟蒻玉干す（こんにゃくだまほす）to dry konnyaku roots
... konnyaku hosu 蒟蒻干す（こんにゃくほす）
konnyaku no sudareboshi 蒟蒻の簾干（こんにゃくのすだれぼし）to dry konnyaku roots on a bamboo shelf
konnyaku sudare 蒟蒻すだれ（こんにゃくすだれ）bamboo shelf to dry konnyaku roots



tooji konnyaku 冬至蒟蒻（とうじこんにゃく）
konnyaku for the winter equinox


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frozen konnyaku
kigo for late winter
konyaku koorasu 蒟蒻氷らす (こんにゃくこおらす)
freezing devil's tongue root jelly
konyaku koorasu 蒟蒻凍らす（こんにゃくこおらす）、
koori konyaku 氷蒟蒻（こおりこんにゃく）
preparing frozen konyaku, koorikonyaku tsukuru
氷蒟蒻造る（こおりこんにゃくつくる）


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The following are not kigo.


konnyaku コンニャク devil's-tongue
Amorphophallus konjac
konnyaku imo コンニャクイモ（蒟蒻芋）
Konnyaku-Potato

konnyaku, konyaku こんにゃく food ... gelatinous food made from devil's-tongue starch.
A plant in the sweet potatoe family. It is eaten in China, Burma, Korea and other Asian countries.
In Japan more than 90 % are grown in Gunma prefecture, second in Tochigi and third in Ibaraki. So the North of the Kanto plain grows more than 97% of this plant.

It originated in India and the Indonesian peninsula.
It takes about 5 to 6 years to make the root grow before it starts to produce a flower. And after the flowering, the root dries out. The flower can be as big as 2 meters.

It is rich in fibers and good for a diet. It is alkali.
one of the Chinese medicine.

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WASHOKU
Gunma and Shimonita Konnyaku 下仁田こんにゃく

Usually the konnyaku is ground into flower, from which jelly is prepared. But here the raw root is grated and jelly produced from it. namaimo konnyaku
本場下仁田生芋こんにゃく

It also comes in different colors for sashimi, white and green. For auspicious occasions it is colored in white and red (koohaku こんにゃく紅白寿セット).



shimikonnyaku, shimi-konnyaku 凍みこんにゃく
frozen Konnyaku
naturally freeze-dried by the sun and the cold wind of Gunma.



A big brick-like piece is put into a wooden cutter and pressed by hand into 42 slices of about 2 cm. These are layed out in the rice fields by the womenfolk and dried on the fields, for one month, watered every day and frozen at night. It becomes a thin slice of whitish substance.
It it does not come into contact with water after drying completely, it might keep as long as 50 years. So it was a special food for farmers to keep for times of famine.
It can be used in the frypan or even as tempura.
As a sponge, some women use it to wash the face and body.


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Yamato kushi konnyaku 串こんにゃく Konjak on skewers
from Nara prefecture


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Food made from konnyaku starch

It is produced to a jelly-like square of gray-brown color and some are whitish and not much taste.
Boiled in oden hodgepodge it is eaten with strong mustard. It contains to 97 percent of water and has no calories, but a lot of fibers and is good for a diet. The fiber contains glucomannan.
Before eating it the bitterness has to be removed by immersing it in ash water for a few days. 灰汁抜き

Konnyaku is mostly eaten in oden hodgepodge. Also in soups like miso soup or pork soup and other boiled food (nimono). its noodles are used for sukiyaki.
Raw it is eaten as sashimi
with miso-vinegar-dressing or wasabi soysauce.



aka konnyaku 赤こんにゃくred konnyaku
red yams
It looks almost like maguro sashimi, often cut in triangular pieces.
It looks like chilli pepper red, but that is not the reason.
It relates back to Oda Nobunaga.
In Omi,the celebrations of Sagichoo 左義長 to preserve the peace of the country are held every year. Nobunaga had been to this ceremony and danced with the young people, wearing the red robes of a woman. Well, he liked the color red so much he even ordered the people of Omi to dye the konnyaku with this color. It is oxydized iron that makes it red.

speciality of Omi Hachiman, Ōmihachiman 近江八幡, Shiga prefecture
Daruma Museum : Sagichoo Festival 左義長


ito konnyaku 糸蒟蒻 Konjak noodles
shirataki 白滝( しらたき) "white waterfall" is also used for oden and nikujaga meat and potatoe stew. Also sukiyaki.
ito konnyaku is thicker and made in Kansai by cutting the jelly.
shirataki is made in Kanto by pressing the jelly through holes of a pressure right into the hot water.
Now there are also shirataki noodles with a tofu mixture on the marked, which contain some carbohydrates.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Faden-Konnyaku, Nudelart.



tama konnyaku 玉こんにゃく/ 玉コンニャク
konnyaku balls
tamakon 玉コン, gelatine balls
konnyaku yamagata
Thre on a skewer. Boiled in oden broth or soy sauce broth and eaten with hot mustard
They are sold prepared with or without broth.
With a broth of surume they make a good snack for a cup of ricewine.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !
speciality of Yamagata, where they are prepared for large crowds of people at festivals and events.


konnyaku serii コンニャクゼリー fruit jelly with konjak
It is also made into fruit jelly in little plastic cups, called
konjac candy.
The starch is made into a powder and mixed with fruit juice.


"Mini-Cup-Jellys"

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konnyaku ko 蒟蒻粉konjak flower
Konjakmehl, Konjacmehl
konnyaku flower is mannan マンナン、Konjac Mannan
Water-soluble knojac mannan substance is capable of undergoing gelation when heated in an aqueous alkaline solution.
Tofu and konnyaku change from gel to a spongy structure by freezing-thawing because of the denaturation of protein (tofu) or mannan (konnyaku).

used for perfect cookie パーフェクトクッキー



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Other use of konnyaku

To impregnate paper or cloth against water
耐水性高分子素材


In the House of Horrors
お化け屋敷のコンニャク
It can hang down and swish off the face of a fearful visitor.


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Worldwide use

Konjak-Wurzel
Wunderwurzel Glucomannan, Wirkstoff der Knolle (Glucomannan)
Geliermittel Glukomannan
Konjacmehl
Gelee-Süßwaren "Mini-Cup-Jellys"
Diese gallertartigen Süßigkeiten können sich aufgrund ihrer Form und Beschaffenheit sehr leicht im Rachenraum festsetzen und zu Erstickungsanfällen führen.
source : waswiressen.de

Mehr : www.konjak.de

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Things found on the way


History

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1589) had the castle in Hizen domain, Nagoya 名護屋城(Saga prefecture) built in 1592 within eight short months as a base for this Korean invasion, the master stone mason suddenly fell very ill with stomac ace. His wife went to the local temple and poored cold water over herself and prayed for his getting better. She had the vision that someone was helping her and giving her advise for a good medicine. When she went home there was one root of konnyaku under her pillow. She prepared it and had her ill husband eat it and what do you say ... he recovered in no time! And the castle could be built just in time as planned. When the others heared of this story, most daimyo who had been there took some of the local konnyaku roots home with them and had them plant in their own domaines too as medicine.

The stone wall is still left to this day.


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Konnyaku Mondo こんにゃく問答 rakugo story
source : こんにゃく問答
by Koyuza Sanyutei

synonym for
ein unsinniger Dialog, eine dumme Antwort


quote
A Classic Tale
From the Rakugo Storyteller’s Repertoire

The Joshu region of Japan is known for the dry winds that bluster down from the mountains and for the konnyaku plants that grow in the fields. The plants’ potato-like tubers are sliced and dried, then boiled and shaped into deliciously chewy patties, which are also called, simply, konnyaku.

In southern Joshu, on the outskirts of the town of Annaka, there lived a konnyaku maker named Rokubei. Born and raised in Edo, he might have spent his whole life there, but a tendency to drink heavily, gamble unluckily, and frequent houses of ill repute made that untenable. Having exhausted a lifetime’s worth of credit in just 20-some years, he left the big city behind, worked hard to learn his present trade, and was eventually able to set up his own shop. He had a certain charisma and soon came to be seen as the unofficial head of his neighborhood. Occasionally, young men who had been living too fast in Edo would show up on Rokubei’s doorstep and he never failed to help them.

Hachigoro showed up in somewhat worse shape than most. Not only had he parted with his last yen, but due to a bout of venereal disease, he had lost all of the hair on his head as well. Rokubei, though, saw this loss as a possible advantage and said, "I think I may have a job tailor-made for you."

The nearby temple had been without a resident monk, without a bonze, that is, for some time. Gonsuke, the temple boy kept the place tidy, but he was too young to take over as head bonze. Hachigoro didn’t know a sutra from a koan, but he was old enough. "And besides," added Rokubei, "you’ve got the look. Your head is pre-shaved! Come on, you can wing the rest."

Thus Hachigoro was appointed head bonze. The original plan was to have Gonsuke give him a crash course in the basics of Buddhist ritual and, in fact, they did manage to pull off a funeral together. However, they also spent quite a bit of time over dice, with Hachigoro teaching Gonsuke the basics of gambling ritual. As a result, novice Head Bonze Hachigoro was grossly unprepared when, one bright morning, a traveling bonze appeared at the gate and issued a mondo dialogue challenge.

Gonsuke met this real, bona fide bonze out at the gate and returned to the temple pale and short of breath. "Now we’re in trouble," he told Hachigoro. "You can’t turn him away. In Zen Buddhism, and this is a Zen temple, you know, if a bonze is challenged to a mondo dialogue, he must accept. And if defeated, he must hand his temple over to the challenger." Hachigoro rubbed his bald head and whined, "You mean he’s trying to drive me out of my own temple? That’s not fair. I don’t do mondo!"

The two decided to do the only sensible thing. Hachigoro hid in the closet and Gonsuke told the traveling bonze that his master was out of town. The bonze replied that he would return tomorrow, and the next day if necessary. In fact, he would come every day for the next year.

When the coast was clear, Hachigoro emerged from the closet, sneezed, and declared that they had better take the statue of Buddha and the other paraphernalia, skip town, and sell everything to an antique dealer. He and Gonsuke were busy packing when Rokubei came by to see how ritual practice was going. "Zen dialogue?!" he guffawed, "What are you worried about?
That mondo mumbo jumbo, how hard can it be?"

"Harder than konnyaku, I’m afraid,"
sighed Gonsuke.

"No sweat. I bet the guy’s bluffing. I’ll tell you what: tomorrow I’ll dress up as head bonze and we’ll see if he’s for real."

The statue of Buddha was returned to its pedestal. Next morning when the traveling bonze arrived as promised, Rokubei was waiting for him in the main hall, seated in full regalia with his head freshly shaved.

After a deep bow, the challenger posed his first question: "When wind blows through a pine tree, a unique sound is made. Respectfully I ask, is it the voice of the wind, or the voice of the pine?"

Rokubei hadn’t a clue, so he said nothing and simply glared. At first, the traveling bonze was puzzled, but then it dawned on him that this was surely the advanced, deeply esoteric "silent mondo" technique. He nodded, closed his eyes for a moment, then glaring back, he placed both hands in front of his chest and made a circle with his thumbs and forefingers.

Rokubei shook his head and held up both arms in a big circle. Next the traveling bonze thrust out both hands with his 10 fingers spread. Rokubei responded by thrusting out his right hand only, fingers spread. The challenger bowed in acceptance, and held out his right hand with just three fingers raised. Rokubei threw his head back and, with his right hand, pointed to his right eye. With that, the challenger sighed, stood up, and walked out.

Gonsuke had been watching the entire mondo from a crack between the sliding doors. Still, he didn’t know what to make of the exchange, so he ran after the departing bonze and asked how it had gone.

"Well, I made a circle in front of my chest, asking your master, of course, about the state of the human soul. He responded with a large circle, meaning "as spacious as the spheres." Then I inquired about the Ten Directions of the world. He indicated that the Five Great Laws would preserve them. When I asked about the Three Great Teachings, he pointed out that they are always here right before our eyes. That’s when I realized he was far too enlightened an opponent for me. I’ll return years from now, once I’ve attained a deeper understanding."

Gonsuke was truly impressed. Who would have imagined that Rokubei, the konnyaku maker, was a Zen expert!?

But back inside the temple, he found Rokubei fuming:
"That bastard must have passed by my shop and seen me working or something. He starts his mondo thing, but then stops, gives me a good looking over and a knowing little nod.
I could tell he recognized me, dammit, because he made the shape of a konnyaku with his fingers.
He was saying,
’Your konnyaku’s about this small,’
so I made a jumbo konnyaku コンニャク with both arms to show him how wrong he was.
Then he asks, ’How much for 10?’
So I show him, you know, 5 yen.
Now get this!
That bonze asked for a stinking discount —
’Give ’em to me for 3 yen.’
Well, that’s when I told him to stick it in his eye!" アカンベエ
Source :int.kateigaho.com


蒟蒻（こんにゃく）問答 Konnyaku Mondo


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HAIKU



こんにゃくもお十二日はつ時雨
konnyaku mo o-juu-ni nichi zo hatsu shigure

for festive jelly too
the venerable Twelfth Day...
first winter rain

Kobayashi Issa

Tenth Month, 12th day is the Death-Day anniversary of the great poet, Bashoo. This day is also called "First Winter Rain Anniversary" (shigure ki). Shinji Ogawa explains that konnyaku might be translated, "devil's tongue jelly."
Konnyaku is kneaded devil's tongue root (Amorphophallus Rivieri).
(Tr. David Lanoue)


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Oden Konnyaku and Matsuo Basho
He was fond of konnyaku oden and sashimi.




蒟蒻の刺身もすこし梅の花
konnyaku no sashimi mo sukoshi ume no hana

just a few
slices of konnyaku -
and some plum blossoms

Matsuo Basho in the year Genroku 9, Spring:

In memoriam of his disciple Kyorai, when they were having a vegetarian memorial repast in his honor. Some slices of konnyaku sashimi were placed on the altar in his honor.

. Temple Eigen-ji 永源寺
Stone memorial of this haiku 　


plum blossoms
and some sashimi of
devil's tongue
Tr. Robin D. Gill


a few slices of
konnyaku and
plum blossoms

source : www.oller.net - Baieido

The Japanese word MO indicates that there was a bit of this and a bit of that:
konnyaku no sashimi mo sukoshi
ume no hana mo sukoshi


quote
glass noodles'
few slices of fish
plum blossoms
Tr. Reichhold

Reichhold's comment:
"This poem was enclosed in a letter of condolence."
source : Larry Bole


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蒟蒻に今日は売り勝つ若菜哉　
konnyaku ni kyoo wa urikatsu wakana kana

Konnyaku
Today sold-out
By young herbs.
Tr. Nelson / Saito

Written on the seventh day of the first lunar month
元禄6年1月7日, Basho age 50


. WKD : the seven herbs rice gruel .
nanakusagayu 七草がゆ　Kayu 粥　rice gruel now prepared on January 7.


MORE - hokku about food by
. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 - Archives of the WKD .


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しぐるゝや蒟蒻冷えて臍の上
shigururu ya konnyaku hiete heso no ue


such a cold drizzle -
the devil's tongue gone cold
on my navel

Masaoka Shiki

(It is used as a kind of compress to prevent catching cold or stomach disorder.)

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三日月に蒟蒻玉を掘る光　　
mikazuki ni konnyaku tama o horu hikari

under the shine
of a crescent moon we dig
for konnyaku roots

Hagiwara Bakusoo (1894-1965) 萩原麦草


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山干しの蒟蒻に来る山の影　
yamaboshi no konnyaku ni kuru yama no kage

the shadow of the mountain
reaches the drying konnyaku
on the mountain slope

Nozaki Yurika 野崎ゆり香


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Related words

***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS

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Ki no ko . Mushrooms Pilze

[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO TOP . ]
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Mushrooms (kinoko, ki no ko) as food

Various types of local mushrooms are used for food.
Most of them are kigo for late autumn. Some are also regional specialities.

mushrooms, kinoko, ki no ko, take 茸, 菌

first mushroom, hatsu-take hatsutake 初茸
mountain with mushrooms, takeyama 茸山


looking for mushrooms in the forest,
mushroom hunting, kinokogari　茸狩
picking mushrooms, kinoko tori 茸採り（きのことり）
bag for mushrooms, kinoko kago 茸籠（きのこかご）
mat to spread mushrooms to dry, kinoko mushiro 茸筵（たけむしろ）

"watchman for mushrooms" kinoko ban 茸番（きのこばん）
vendor of mushrooms, kinoko uri 茸売（きのこうり）



rice with fresh mushrooms, kinoko meshi,
takenoko meshi 茸飯
kigo for late autumn
..... a delicacy on a cold autumn night



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benitake 紅茸 / ベニタケ "red mushroom" "scarlet mushroom
Fam. Russulaceae
kigo for all autumn



chitake soba ちたけそば soba
buckwheat noodles with chichi mushrooms
chichitake チチタケ / 乳茸 Lactarius volemus


Enoki take えのきたけ, (えのきだけ)(榎茸) enoki mushrooms, enokidake, enoki-dake
enokidake, hackberry, velvet shank
Flammulina velutipes
kigo for early winter
cultivated version of the wild nameko.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Enokitake-Pilz

They grow on old tree stumps and are beautifully white and shining. Grown in dark rooms, they look almost like moyashi bean sprouts.
They taste good when boiled in alufoil or added to a nabe hodgepodge.


. enoki 榎 nettletree, Chinese hackberry tree .


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Eringi エリンギ king trumpet mushroom
french horn mushroom, king oyster mushroom
Pleurotus eryngii

. . . CLICK here for Photos !

an edible mushroom native to Mediterranean regions of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, but also grown in parts of Asia.In Chinese, it is called xìng bào gū (杏鮑菇, lit. "almond abalone mushroom"), cì qín gū (刺芹菇, lit. "stab celery mushroom"), or cì qín cè ěr (刺芹側耳, lit. "stab celery side ear").

It is the largest species in the oyster mushroom genus, Pleurotus, which also contains the oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus. It has a thick, meaty white stem and a small tan cap (in young specimens). It has little flavor or aroma when raw. When cooked it, develops typical mushroom umami flavors, with a texture similar to that of abalone.

The mushroom has a good shelf life. An effective cultivation method was introduced to Japan around 1993 and has become popular there used in variety of dishes, and is now cultivated and sold commercially in Australia.
Its species name is derived from the fact that it grows in association with the roots of Eryngium campestre or other Eryngium plants (English names: 'Sea Holly' or 'Eryngo').
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !
Introduced to Japan in 1995.



Hiratake (ひらたけ) 平茸 oyster mushroom
Pleurotus ostreatus
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Austernpilz, Austernseitling

Eringi is a cultivated kind of hiratake.


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kikurage 木耳 (きくらげ) Jew's-ear; Judas-ear
lit. "jelly fish on a tree"
Auricularia auricula. Judasohr; Holunderschwamm,
Wolkenohrpilz "cloud ear mushroom"

kigo for mid-summer

It is sold dried and used for many side dishes in mountainous regions. It is used as a medicine in yakuzen medical dishes.



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Kuritake　（くりたけ） 栗茸　Chestnut mushroom
..... kuri motashi 栗もたし（くりもたし)
Naematoloma sublateritium
kigo for late autumn
WKD ... more about Kuritake


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Maitake　（まいたけ）　舞茸　Sheep’s Head, Hen of the Woods
Grifola frondosa
lit. "dancing mushroom".
black maitake, kuromai 黒舞茸（くろまい）
white maitake, shiromai 白舞茸（しろまい）
kigo for mid-autumn
Very popular in the Japanese kitchen, the KING of MUSHROOMS.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
The underground tubers from which hen of the woods arises has been used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine to enhance the immune system. Researchers have also indicated that whole maitake has the ability to regulate blood pressure, glucose, insulin, and both serum and liver lipids, such as cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids, and may also be useful for weight loss.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !
They are mostly grown in dark places.
The name "dancing mushroom" comes from the peasure when eating them, you feel like getting up and dance for gratitude.
Best in the kiritanpo hodgepodge of Akita.


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Matsutake （まつたけ） 松茸 pine mushroom
Tricholoma matsutake = syn. T. nauseosum
..... one of the most expensive !
matsutake meshi, 松茸飯 (まつたけめし)
kigo for late autumn

Matsutake are hard to harvest and therefore the price is very high. Domestic productions of Matsutake in Japan have been sharply reduced over the last fifty years due to a pine nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, and it has influenced the price a great deal. The annual harvest of Matsutake in Japan is now less than 1000 tons, and it is largely made up by imports from China, Korea, the American Pacific Northwest (Northern California - British Columbia) and Northern Europe (Sweden and Finland).The price for Matsutake in the Japanese market is highly dependent on quality, availability and origin. The Japanese Matsutake at the beginning of the season, which is the highest grade, can go up to $2000 per kilogram. In contrast, the average value for imported Matsutake is about $90 per kilogram.
Cooking
The main recipes for matsutake are matsutake soup, matsutake rice, grilled matsutake, etc. Their magnificently spicy aroma, similar to a blend of pine and cinnamon, enhances wild mushroom dishes and makes great recipes. The aroma lasts even after it is cooked.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

Kiefernpilz


Matsutake sold in Japan come also from China, Korea and Canada.
In former times, matsutake was abundant and people could affort it in their regular winter sukiyaki, but could not afford meat. Since 1950 things changed slowly and now they have meat in the sukiyaki, but no pine mushrooms, and they can not even aford a small piece of matsutake in their soup.

Tanba matsutake 丹波松茸
pine mushrooms from the Tamba region.
They are the most expensive to be eaten in Kyoto.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
They come in three sizes,
koro コロ when the hat is not opened yet
wan 椀 when the hat starts opening "like a bowl"
hiraki 開き when the hat is fully opened
Some areas try to revive the local forest to make it easier for matsutake to grow in the forest. Trees are cut out to bring more sunshine to the ground and old leaves are taken away. One group is called "Matsutake juujigun" マツタケ十字軍, the Crusaders for Pine Mushrooms.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




dobinmushi, dobin mushi どびん蒸し/ 土瓶蒸し
simmered in an earthen pot
with some dashi and mitsuba leaves, a shrimp, a piece of hamo eel and then some sudachi or kabosu citrus juice.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


yaki matsutake やきまつたけ/ 焼松茸
grilled on charcoal
Sometimes wrapped in alufoile, sometimes in Japanese paper soaked in ricewine.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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hayamatsutake 早松茸 (はやまつたけ) "early matsutake"
. . . . . samatsu さまつ
kigo for late summer

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Matsutake were quite popular since the Heian period, and in Kyoto there were many spots for look for them and cook them outside.
But in Edo things were different.
To get all the timber for building the town, the trees around town were felled and fast-growing types planted.
To find a pine forest you had to qo quite far.
The third Shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, liked them anyway and had a relay of more than 10 stations to get them from about 100 away in Gunma, harvested in the evening and arriving at Edo Castle in the early morning - for his breakfast.

This relay is part of a local festival in Ota Town.
太田市｜太田松茸道中 Matsutake Dochu


CLICK For more photos !


and a view from an old guidebook
江戸時代の松茸狩り（『摂津名所図会』



金竜寺山松茸狩
looking for Matsutake at temple Kinryu-Ji
- source : edo-g.com/blog/2017 -


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Nameko なめこ(滑子) "slippery kids" nameko mushrooms
Pholiota nameko
kigo for all winter
Wild version of the cultivated enoki.
nametake なめたけ【滑茸】 was their old name.
nameko soup, namekojiru 滑子汁（なめこじる）

A small, amber-brown mushroom with a slightly gelatinous coating, It is enjoyed in miso soup and nabemono hodgepodges.
Wild nameko grwos in Yamagata and in the Shirakami mountains in the beech tree forests.
Nowadays, they are grown in special containers and available all year.
They are not mentioned in the old records of Japan, since they were never availabel in Kyoto or Edo, but only locally. Their slipperiness (numeri) is good for digesting amino acids.
This mushroom is only used in the kitchen of Japan, not in other countries.
der Nameko
In Yamagata, there is a "Nameko Festival" なめこ祭り nameko matsuri.


nameko oroshi-ae なめおろしあえ
with grated radish and soy sauce

namekojiru なめこじる miso soup
usually a bit of sakekasu is added

. . . CLICK here for nameko food Photos !


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Saru no koshikake 猿の腰掛 (猿の腰掛け, さるのこしかけ)
shelf fungus, polypore
lit. "ape stool" "monkey's chair"
kosongan 胡孫眼（こそんがん）mashiratake 猿茸（ましらたけ）
Ganoderma Lucidum
kigo for all autumn
"Ling-zhi" in Chinese or "Reishi", "Saru-no-koshikake" or "Mannendake" in Japanese.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Used for Chinese medicine.
Saru-no-koshikake


bukuryoo 茯苓 (ぶくりょう) Poria cocos
(a kind of "monkey's chair")
shirobukuryoo 白茯苓（しろぶくりょう）white Poria
akabukuryoo 赤茯苓（あかぶくりょう） red Poria
kigo for late autumn

It grows at the roots of akamatsu pines.

This mushroom is used in Chinese medicine to induce urin flow.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Fu Ling
Wolfiporia extensa (Peck) Ginns (formerly known as Poria cocos F.A. Wolf)
Called Fu Ling, it is collected between July and September.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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semitake 蝉茸 (せみたけ) "cicada mushroom"
semibana 蝉花（せみばな）
kanzemi 冠蝉（かんぜん）
It looks like the larva of the minmin cicada.
Chinese caterpillar mushroom

Cordyceps sobolifera
kigo for late summer

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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shanpinyon シャンピニョン champignon
mashuruumu マシュルーム mushroom
Agaricus bisporus, known as table mushroom, cultivated mushroom or button mushroom, is an edible basidiomycete fungus which naturally occurs in grasslands, fields and meadows across Europe and North America, though has spread much more widely and is one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms in the world. The original wild form bore a brownish cap and dark brown gills but more familiar is the current variant with a white form with white cap, stalk and flesh and brown gills.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !
In Japan since the Meiji period. Now availabel not only in cans but also as fresh ones.


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Shiitake 椎茸　 shiitake mushrooms
Lentinula edodes
kigo for late autumn
They come fresh or dries in various qualities.
How to grow shiitake in your back yard
Daruma Museum
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !
Schiitakepilz, Pasaniapilz

There are two main differences
donko 冬茹椎茸, どんこ椎茸
... hana donko 花どんこ椎茸 (photo)
with thick meat when dried. They used to be exported to China during the Edo period.
When dried on large nets in a special heated room (jimoro shiage　地室仕上げ ) they last for a long time. After soaking them in water they give a very good dashi broth.
. . . CLICK here for donko Photos !

kooshin こうしん椎茸, 香信（こうしん）
with thin meat when dried
. . . CLICK here for kooshin Photos !

ishizuki 石づき　”part that clings to stone"
the stem of a mushroom. It is usually cut off and not eaten.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


しいたけ飯 shiitake meshi, rice with shiitake mushrooms
speciality of Miyasaki, Kyushu

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kigo for all spring

haru shiitake 春椎茸 (はるしいたけ ) Shiitake in spring
..... haruko 春子（はるこ）"children of spring"


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Shimeji しめじ (占地, 湿地茸, ) shimeji mushrooms
Lyophyllum shimeji
meadow mushrooms
kigo for late autumn
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Shimeji (シメジ, 占地) is a group of edible mushrooms native to East Asia. Hon-shimeji (Lyophyllum shimeji) is a mycorrhizal fungi (similar to matsutake, porcini and truffle) and difficult to cultivate, while others are saprotroph and buna-shimeji is now widely cultivated. Shimeji is rich in umami taste such as guanylic acid, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid.

The Shimeji should always be cooked, it is not a good mushroom to serve raw. When raw this mushroom has a somewhat bitter taste; the bittereness disappears completely upon cooking. The cooked mushroom has a pleasant, firm, slightly crunchy texture and a slightly nutty flavor. Cooking also makes this mushroom easier to digest. In stir-fried foods, as well as with wild game or seafood it is a good mushroom. Also it can be used in soups, stews and in sauces. When cooked alone, Shimeji mushrooms can be sautéed as a whole, including the stem or stalk (only the very end cut off), using a higher temperature or they can be slow roasted on a low temperature with a small amount of butter or cooking oil. Shimeji is used in soups, nabe and takikomi gohan.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

Champignons are a different kind, Agaricus campestris, A. hortensis and others


shimeji no takikomi gohan しめじの炊き込みご飯
boiled with rice
sometimes abura-age tofu pouches are added.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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shooro 松露 (しょうろ) truffle, truffles
lit "dew of the pine"
shooro kaku 松露掻く（しょうろかく) scratching for truffles
Rhizopogon rubescens
kigo for late spring
Trüffel


tobidake とび茸 （とびだけ）
tonbimaitake トンビマイタケ
Speciality at Hijiori Onsen 肘折温泉, where a stone Jizo broke his ellbow (hiji).
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

Founded a little after the year 800, Hijiori is said to have cured an old monk's broken elbow and is still known by that name ("elbow-broken").
Compared to other famous springs, Hijiori is more often visited by older individuals and those with chronic illnesses who come for the curative effects of bathing in the water. As a result many of the inns here offer rooms with kitchens where guests can prepare their own meals and stay for a week or more. And, as a result of this, Hijiori still is able to preserve its traditional morning market (which is actually open all day), where residents and guests alike are able to purchase delicious, fresh wild mountain vegetables, mushrooms, fish and other items.

Hijiori is also unique because of the nearby geothermal power plant which takes advantage of the abundant thermal heat in the area. The inns here are great for relaxation after a day of hiking or mushroom hunting (not on private land, however) in the mountains south of town. In addition Hijiori is famous for the production of Hijiori kokeshi, the traditional wooden doll of the Tohoku Region.
source : 　okura


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plant kigo for all autumn

doku take 毒茸 (どくたけ) "poisonous mushroom"
doku kinoko どくきのこ
ase take 汗茸（あせたけ）"sweat mushroom"
shibire take しびれ茸（しびれたけ）
nigaguri take 苦栗茸（にがぐりたけ） "bitter chestnut mushroom"
Hypholoma fasciculare

warai take, waraitake 笑い茸（わらいたけ）"laughing mushroom"
laughing gym, laughing Jim, spectacular rustgill,
Gymnopilus junonius
This large orange mushroom is often found growing on tree stumps, logs, or tree bases. Some subspecies contain the hallucinogenic compound psilocybin.


tengu take 天狗茸 (てんぐたけ) death cup
lit. "Tengu goblin mushroom". Amanita pantherina
haetori take 蠅取茸（はえとりたけ）"Fliegenpilz"
beni tengu take 紅天狗茸（べにてんぐたけ）Amanita muscaria
tamago tengu take 卵天狗茸（たまごてんぐたけ） Amanita phalloides
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


tsukiyo take 月夜茸 (つきよたけ) moonlight mushroom
Omphalotus guepiniformis


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kigo for early autumn

naratake, tara take 楢茸 (ならたけ) honey fungus
Armillaria mellea

sakuradake 桜茸 (さくらだけ) "cherry mushroom"
sakuratake サクラタケ Mycena pura


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kigo for late autumn

hatsu nameko 初滑子 (はつなめこ) first nameko
hatsu nametake 初滑茸（はつなめたけ）
"slippery kids" nameko mushrooms
Pholiota nameko




iwatake iwa take 岩茸 (いわたけ) "cliff mushrooms"
Umbilicaria esculenta
takane iwatake 高嶺岩茸（たかねいわたけ）
iwatake tori 岩茸採り（いわたけとり） picking Iwatake
イワタケ

It was quite dangerous to pick them from the cliffs of high mountains.


Iwatake gathering at Kumano in Kishu
Kishū Kumano iwatake tori
Chinpei Suzuki (1829-1869). (Hiroshige II)


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Worldwide use

Cantharellus cibarius

Germany - Pfifferling
North America chanterelle, golden chanterelle or girolle


chanterelles
and a fresh spikehorn backstrap . . .
waxing hunter’s moon

Elaine Andre

- Spikehorn - a male deer of 1-1/2 years old, growing its first set of spike antlers
- Backstrap - the most prime tenderloin cut of venison

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India


Giddarpirhi mushroom (Trametes versicolor)

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Things found on the way


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HAIKU


source :　photozou.jp


松茸やかぶれた程は松の形
matsutake ya kabureta hodo wa matsu no nari

pine mushrooms -
the more ragged its top
the more it looks like a red pine

Matsuo Basho, age 41




The name comes from the area where the mushroom grows, in a pine grove of Japanese red pines (akamatsu). But as Basho takes a closer look, he finds that the form of the mushroom itself resembles the tree. The broken parts of the hat look like the broken bark of akamatsu.

kabureta ... yabureta 笠の破れた辺りの模様


mushroom--
it's become so ragged
it looks like a pine
Tr. David Barnhill


A matsutake mushroom!
With its skin scarred, it looks like
A real pine tree!
Tr. Oseko


pine mushroom <>
scratched surface (state of being)
pine tree's shape
Jane Reichhold, literal translation


Further discussion of the translation
source : www.thehaikufoundation.org



. matsutake ya shiranu ko-no-ha no nebaritsuku . 　



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茸飯 kinoko meshi

ki no kuni no ki no ka narikeri kinoko meshi

in the land of trees
there is the fragrance of trees -
rice with mushrooms

Fujimoto Miwako (1950 - )
Born in Wakayama, a province with large forests.


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茸番の声を発する続けざま
kinoko ban no koe o hassuru tsuzukezama

the watchman for mushrooms
has his way in shouting and
raising his voice

. Hatano Soha (Sooha) 波多野爽波


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Related words

***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS

***** Mushrooms as KIGO

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Goboo Kyoto Vegetables

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Burdock (goboo)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: See below
***** Category: Plant and Humanity

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Explanation

edible burdock, comfrey, gobo, goboo 牛蒡
Arctium lappa, Greater Burdock

japanische Schwarzwurzel, "grosse Klette"

It has medicinal properties and is used in Chinese medicine (kanpo). Said to help with fatique, prevents catching a cold, provokes urin production and detoxifies.
Japan seems the only place where it is eaten as a normal vegetable.
Before use in Japanese food it has to be soaked in vinegar to remove the bitterness. Its fibers are good for digestion.

kinpira goboo　金平, the name comes from the Strong Boy, Kintaroo 金太郎.
Kintaro, Daruma daki Kintaroo だるま抱き金太郎
Something that gives you strenth, kin hira 金平



planting burdock, goboo maku 牛蒡蒔く（ごぼうまく）
kigo for spring


flower of burdock, goboo no hana 牛蒡の花 (ごぼうのはは)
kigo for summer


planting burdock in autumn, aki no goboo maku
秋の牛蒡蒔く
pulling out burdock, goboo hiku 牛蒡引く　（ごぼうひく）
digging for burdock, goboo horu 牛蒡掘る　（ごぼうほる）
kigo for autumn


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kigo for mid-autumn

Fuji goboo 富士牛蒡（ふじごぼう) "Mount Fuji burdock"
subashiri goboo 、須走牛蒡（すばしりごぼう）
Fuji azami 富士薊 (ふじあざみ) "Mount Fuji thistle"
azami goboo 薊牛蒡（あざみごぼう）
Cirsium purpuratum
The name is burdock, but the plant belongs to the thistle family. The roots are often sold as a speciality of mountain hot springs and around Mount Fuji.



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Hiraki goboo 開牛蒡 (ひらきごぼう) "open" burdock
"divining sticks" burdock, sangi goboo 算木牛蒡（さんぎごぼう）,
"crushed" burdock tataki goboo 叩牛蒡（たたきごぼう）
The long burdock roots are inscised various times and boiled long as they are. They resemble the divining sticks of temples and shrines. Sometimes the burdock is crushed.
kigo for the New Year


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sacred rope like burdock, goboo jime 牛蒡注連（ ごぼうじめ）
kigo for the New Year
Shimenawa 注連縄 details about the sacred rope


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Yamamori Goboo 山盛りのゴボウ
Eating large portions of burdock

This is an event in the town of Kuninaka in Echizen, Fukui prefecture.
The "Goboo eating group" goboo koo ごぼう講 meets on February 17. The men in official robes eat long stripes of burdock and drink sake to pray for a good harvest and good luck for the coming year.
This dates back to the year 1705 when the poor villagers kept a secret field in the compounds of the local shrine Kuninaka jinja 国中神社 to grow some extra rice they did not have to give a way as tax crop. They offered the rice and burdock to the local deity and partook of it afterwards. Nowadays, 48 families of the village still keep this tradition.

About 30 menfolk of the neighbourhood meet at the home of the one in charge for this year. They have to eat a lot of rice and burdock, 5 go cups of cooked of rice each (gogoo mossoomeshi 五合物相飯). This year 3oo kilograms of burdock were cooked and eaten with the fingers.

. . . CLICK here for Photos of shrine Kuninaka Jinja ! 国中神社


福井県越前市国中町

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Dishes with burdock root


kinpira gobo, kinpira gobō, kinpira goboo
きんぴらごぼう
simmered burdock root, braised burdock root
Carrots and burdock are stir-fried with salt and sugar.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Chikuzen-Ni with gobo
Fukuoka speciality.



Goboojiru 牛蒡汁 Miso soup with burdock
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Horikawa goboo 堀川牛蒡 (ほりかわごぼう)
burdock from Horikawa
One of the Kyoto Vegetables. It has been discovered under the "Horikawa" moat which Toyotomi Hideyoshi had build more than 300 years ago.
It is so big the inside is hollowed out and stuffed with minced meat of chicken or fish before it is braized.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Yahata-maki やはたまき (八幡巻き) goboo burdock roll
Kyoto speciality.
With goboo from Yahata town.



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



Tenugui, small towels with vegetable design


Kyooyasai 京野菜 vegetables from Kyoto
. . . CLICK here for Photos ! Kyoyasai

Kyoosai 京菜 Kyoto Vegetables
Gemüse aus Kyoto, Kyoto-Gemüse

Kyo yasai vegetables are not of origin in Kyoto, but include vegetables that have been introduced from other areas. The vegetables have adapted well to the soil and the water of Kyoto. The seeds and the cultivation methods have improved over the generations and these vegetables are now very important to the cuisine of the town. There are about 50 different kinds available, usually named after its place of origin. They are all of strong appetizing colors and mostly eaten fresh, often used in the temple kitchen and for the tea ceremony cooking. Nowadays, they are even advertised on the internet.
Many are cultivated since the Heian period and a lot grow in temple gardens. Some count 34 varieties as the traditional "Kyoto Vegetables of the temple cuisine".

Farmers wifes bring the vegetables to their customers in hand carts on certain days of the week.

Kyoto vegetables and pickles from these vegetables are also used in "obanzai" おばんざい Kyoto home cooking.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
. Kyoto Obanzai Dishes



daikon (だいこん)　大根 radish
from temple 聖護院 (Shoogooin)・辛味・青味・時無・桃山・茎・佐波賀 Sabaka in Maizuru ,郡大根

Temple Shogo-In
This giant radish is also used for the dish called furofuki daikon "Gesimmerter Rettich".


ebiimo, ebi-imo 海老芋 sweet potatoes in the form of a shrimp and are prepared in famous dishes, like imoboo いもぼう【芋棒】potato sticks.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


kabu カブ turnips 佐波賀・松ヶ崎浮菜・聖護院 Shogoin・大内・舞鶴 , 東寺蕪 Toji kabu
Tempel Toji, Kyoto


kabocha, see
Shishigatani kabocha 鹿ヶ谷かぼちゃ pumpkin from Shishigatani, Kyoto


Kamo nasu, Kamonasu 賀茂茄子・京山　 (eggplant) from the Kamigamo-area are as large as 300 to 400 grams per piece and are a summer vegetable. They are almost round. They are eaten boiled or fried with oil. With miso paste as dengaku.
They are the most well known of the Kyoto Vegetables. They are also used for pickles called "shibazuke".
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
... moginasu もぎなす they are a little smaller and harvested in early summer.

Kintoki ninjin 金時人参 Kintoki carrots Kyoo ninjin 京人参 "Kyoto carrots"

Kujoo negi, kujonegi 九条葱 leek from Kujoo
Near the tmeple Tooji.
Long green onion. It tastes best in the winter time. It is rather sticky, but this gives it a sweeter taste. The contrast of the white stem and green leaves is well liked and the leaves are also eaten.
These leek dates back to 711, according to the Kyoto Prefecture's Gardening Almanac of 1909.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

kuwai クワイ arrowhead bulb
Sagittaria trifolia

kyoo takenoko 京竹の子/ 京筍 bamboo shoots from Kyoto
They are a typical spring vegetable. They are grown in special groves of Rakusai (western Kyoto) and different from the wild varieties. They are sweet and soft and can be served raw when freshly picked, only with a vinegar-miso-sauce.

kyuuri, Shoogooin kyuuri 聖護院胡瓜（キュウリ） cucumbers
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


. Manganji toogarashi 万願寺唐辛子 hot green peppers from temple Mangan-Ji .

mibuna 壬生菜（ミブナ）leavy vegetables from the Mibu area
畑菜・鶯菜・花菜
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Mibu Temple Kyoto

mizuna (Japanese cabbage) called mibuna, grown near Mibu-dera (Mibu temple) a temple renowned for kyogen (comic drama flourished from the middle of the 14th century). The clear spring water helped with the irrigation of the fields to grow this plant. It has feathery leaves and the stalk is white and thin. The color contrast is one of its charms, so is its crunchy bite. It is used for soups, pickles, fried or in a salad.

Made with steamed and cut mibuna :
. tonsho mochi 屯所餅 "garrison mochi" . 　　



myooga 京茗荷（ミョウガ）Japanese ginger


sasage 柊野ささげ（ササゲ) cowpea; black-eyed pea; southern pea
Vigna sinensis. Sasage-Bohne

seri 京芹（セリ） Japanese parsley; dropwort

Shishigatani nankin (pumpkin) see:
Shishigatani kabocha 鹿ヶ谷かぼちゃ pumpkin from Shishigatani, Kyoto

Shogoin kabura, Shoogooin kabu 聖護院かぶ, a kind of turnip started with seeds from Omi brought to Kyoto during the Edo period. The thinly sliced turnips, salted and pickled with kombu (kelp) are called senmaizuke 千枚付け, which is the first of its kind to be eaten with no other food.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


sugukina 酸茎菜（スグキナ）"sour turnip leaves"
Brassica rapa var. neosuguki
They are used for the pickle called "sugukizuke".
suguki are eaten as ochazuke in Kyoto.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


toogarashi トウガラシ chilli peppers
伏見・田中・山科・万願寺・鷹ヶ峰

udo, kyoo udo 京独活（ウド）京うど
mountain plant which produces fat, white, edible stalks.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Udo from Edo


uri, Katsura uri 桂瓜（ウリ）gourd, melon
Cucumis. melo var. conomon
Katsura uri is used as the original ingredient for narazuke (pickles).
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


The temple cooks and chefs of Kyoto restaurants use these fresh vegetables for traditional dishes as well as some new experiments with Westernized dishes.
Nishiki Ichiba 錦市場 (Nishiki "Brocade" Market) is the kitchen of Kyoto.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




京野菜摘みしばかりの涼しさに
Kyoo yasai tsumishi bakari no suzushisa ni

Kyoto vegetables -
freshly picked
they are so cool

Koono Kei-ichi 河野啓一
source : seseragi

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kiku kabura 菊かぶら / 菊蕪 "chrysanthemum turnip"
The best known are from Kamekura village 亀蔵.

This is a pickled turnip, which is cut many times and looks almost as a yellow chrysanthemum blossom. The yellow color is enhanced with seeds of the gardenia (kuchinashi). The pickle liquid is rather sweet.


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For specially trained cooks, there is the title of

Meister of Kyoto Vegetables 京野菜マイスター
kyooyasai maisutaa
"Kyo-yasai Meister"

You must pass an examination to become one and get a certificate for it.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




There is also a special logo mark for Kyoto specialities, including vegetables.
Kyoo maaku 京マーク Kyoto Speciality Logo


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furoshiki with vegetable patterns 京野菜風呂敷
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



tamanokoshi (marry into the purple) charm 玉の輿お守り
to marry a rich husband or wife
with design of Kyoto Vegetables
talisman at Imamiya shrine 今宮神社
Einheirat in eine reiche Familie




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HAIKU

sokobie no yado no kinpira goboo kana

foot-cold -
the little inn serves
burdock roots

Tsuda Teiko 津田汀子


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Related words

kigo for mid-summer

***** yamagoboo no hana 山牛蒡の花 (やまごぼうのはな)
flower of the pokeroot, pokeweed
Phytolacca esculenta





山牛蒡に石ころ寄せぬあらきはり
yamagoboo ni ishikoro yosenu arakihari


Takada Chooi 高田蝶衣　Takada Choi


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WASHOKU
Togarashi, toogarashi 唐辛子 red hot pepper


***** WASHOKU : INGREDIENTS
gobo

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