Shungiku and Japanese Chrysanthemum Greens in Cooking · The Japanese Canon

I

Origin

Japan — shungiku cultivation documented from Heian period; peak use in winter nabe culture from Edo period

II

Description

Shungiku (春菊 — 'spring chrysanthemum') — the edible chrysanthemum (Glebionis coronaria, also called garland chrysanthemum or tong hao in Chinese cooking) — is one of Japan's most distinctive cooking greens, with a strong, complex herbal aroma combining elements of pine resin, anise, slight bitterness, and a distinctive floral chrysanthemum note that makes it immediately recognisable. Unlike most Japanese cooking greens, shungiku retains its assertive flavour after brief cooking — it is not neutralised by heat but transformed, with its raw herbal bitterness softening into a more savoury, complex cooked character. The primary applications: nabe-mono (hot pot) in winter, where shungiku is added in the final 30 seconds of cooking just before eating, its wilting leaves carrying the broth's dashi character while maintaining their herbal identity; tempura (shungiku tempura is a classic spring preparation — the light batter traps the aromatic oils while the leaf crisps into a feathery, herbal wafer); ohitashi (blanched shungiku dressed with dashi and soy, squeezed and served cold — the most delicate expression); and as a finishing herb in ramen (Kyoto-style shoyu ramen occasionally uses shungiku as a garnish). The seasonal naming is precise: shun = spring, giku = chrysanthemum — the plant's peak season is spring and autumn, with the most tender and aromatic leaves available in cooler weather. Edible chrysanthemum flowers (kiku no hana) are also used in Japanese cooking as garnish and in salads.

III

The Thread

—Identical plant used in Chinese hot pot culture — shared East Asian culinary value for edible chrysanthemum across Japan and China Chinese

—Korean ssukgat is the same plant used as a namul (dressed side dish) and in hot pot — same cross-cultural East Asian use of edible chrysanthemum as cooking green Korean

—Italian use of chicory and radicchio as intentional bitter counterpoints to rich dishes parallels shungiku's role — both are celebrated for their bitterness as a culinary value Italian

IV

Flavour Context

Strong herbal-floral with pine resin, slight anise, and chrysanthemum character; bitterness provides counterpoint to rich broths; volatile aromatics are the defining quality

Pillars V — VII

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