Nanagusa Gayu 七草粥

Matsu no uchi is the first seven days of each new year. On the last day of Matsu no uchi, January 7th, many Japanese eat nanagusa-gayu　七草粥. An okayu (rice porridge) dish with seven different herbs. Nanagusa means seven grasses 七草. Supermarkets sell packs of the herbs so it is quite easy to make at home.

The seven herbs consist of:

1. Seri (water dropwort)　
2. Nazuna
3. Gogyou
4. Hakobera
5. Hotokenoza
6. Suzuna (turnip)
7. Suzushiro (radish)

Of the seven listed above, I only use seri, turnips, and radish in my daily cooking. The other herbs are not that common, although radish and turnips are often used in cooking. Rich in vitamins, eating nanagusa gayu, has a rich history in Japan and is supposed to contribute to one's health for the upcoming year.

On a past NHK cooking program, chef Kazunari Yanagihara, demonstrated how to cook this simple recipe. It's a nice twist on most okayu as it includes small pieces of mochi which add a unique texture to traditional porridge.

250 grams of cooked rice
4 1/2 cups of water
4-6 pieces of mochi
1/2 tsp. salt

In a pot add the water and cooked rice. Cook over medium heat. Cut the mochi into halves and add to the pot. While the mochi and rice are cooking cut up the greens into small pieces. Save the turnip and radish for another dish.

When the mochi is soft add the salt (add more to taste). Add the herbs and stir briefly. Remove from heat and serve. As the herbs are quite delicate and cut into small pieces it does not need to cook too long.


* Chef Yanagihara suggests still making this dish if you can only get two or three of the herbs. If you are not in Japan, look for young turnips or radishes with their leaves and use just the leaves, reserving the roots for other dishes.