Browse Techniques

Mizuna (水菜, water vegetable, Brassica rapa var. nipposinica) is a Japanese leafy green with feathery, serrated leaves and crisp white stems, grown in flooded fields (the 'water' in its name). Mild, slightly peppery flavor positions it between spinach and arugula — far less bitter than mature arugula, with a pleasant crunch. Mizuna's main applications: Japanese hot pot (especially shabu-shabu), salads, alongside grilled fish, in soba and udon as garnish. It wilts very quickly when hot — ideally added at the very last second to hot preparations. Baby mizuna is standard in Japanese restaurant salads; mature mizuna goes into nabe hot pots.

Satoimo (里芋, taro, Colocasia esculenta) occupies a central position in Japanese autumn cooking unlike any other culture's use of taro. The small, round Japanese variety (as opposed to the large Hawaiian poi taro) is distinctive for its stickiness (neba-neba) from galactan mucilage, which is a cultural flavor characteristic rather than a defect. Used in nimono (simmered with dashi-soy-mirin), miso soup, and kenchinjiru, satoimo must be parboiled first to reduce the calcium oxalate that causes irritation and to remove some of the sliminess. The combination of tender earthiness with the sticky texture is considered a defining autumn flavor.