Japanese Shungiku and Mitsuba: Essential Aromatic Herbs
Japan — both widely cultivated, shungiku introduced from China, mitsuba indigenous
Among the aromatics that distinguish Japanese cuisine from all others, two herbs stand as the most uniquely Japanese: shungiku (春菊, crown daisy greens, Chrysanthemum coronarium) and mitsuba (三つ葉, Japanese parsley, Cryptotaenia japonica). Neither has a Western equivalent close enough to be used as a substitute without significant flavour change. Shungiku are the young leaves of the crown daisy plant — slightly bitter, resinous, with a distinctive floral-herbal character that combines chrysanthemum flower, green bitterness, and a faint anise note. They are used in nabemono (hotpot — particularly shabu-shabu and sukiyaki), as tempura, in salads dressed with sesame, and as a garnish for simmered dishes. They should never be overcooked — 30 seconds in a hotpot is their maximum. Mitsuba (three-leaf) is the Japanese equivalent of Italian parsley in functional terms — used as a final fragrant garnish on chawanmushi, soups, and simmered dishes — but its flavour is completely different: mildly celery-like, slightly grassy, with a clean, spring freshness that is particularly well-suited to delicate dashi-based preparations. Like shungiku, mitsuba is heat-sensitive and should be added only at the very end of cooking or used raw.