Sansai, Japanese mountain vegetables, start to come into the market this time of year. Growing up, my mother and her Korean friend, Ki-san, would forage for warabi(fiddleheads of bracken) in the forest in Minnesota. There was always a short window to pick these as they grow very quickly. Once home the fiddleheads were washed thoroughly, blanched, and then simply dressed with some soy sauce. Fuki (giant butterbur) cooked into a sweet soy broth Tsukudani style is one favorite. Fukinoto (butterbur buds) are best when deep-fried as tempura. Shungikuleaves are wonderful in nabe (hotpots) or blanched and dressed with a sesame dressing. But perhaps my favorite thing this time of year is sansai served over soba or cooked with the rice for sansai gohan.
Broccoli –
Cabbage –
Cauliflower –
Celery –
Daikon –
Fuki – giant butterbur
Fukinoto – butterbur buds
Gobo – burdock root
Hakusai – Napa cabbage
Hoursensou – spinach
Komatsuna – Japanese green (sometimes called mustard spinach) in turnip family
Kuwai – arrowhead
Mitsuba – Japanese hornwort (also called Japanese parsley)
Mizuna – Japanese green (sometimes called potherb mustard)
Yamaimo – Japanese mountain yam
Nanohana – rapeseed flowers
Naganegi – Japanese leeks
Ninjin - carrots
Nozawana – Nozawa greens (in the same family as the turnip)
Renkon – lotus root
Seri – Japanese celery
Shungiku – chrysanthemum leaves
Udo - udo (a Japanese vegetable in the ginseng family)
Wakegi – green onions
Warabi – fiddleheads of bracken
Yurine – lily root
Fruit
Strawberries are all over the markets now, and perhaps best experienced in sweets found at depachika. We try to keep some fresh yuzu in the fridge using the juice for ponzu and the aromatic peel as a garnish. The Los Angeles Times recently did an interesting piece on dekopon.
Daidai – a type of orange
Dekopon – a type of citrus
Hassaku – a type of citrus
Ichigo – strawberry
Iyokan – a type of citrus
Kinkan – kumquat
Kiwi -
Lemon –
Navel orange –
Ponkan – a type of tangerine
Ringo – apple
Setoka – a type of citrus
Yuzu –
