Myoga ✦

Myoga

What it is

The story goes that the plant first grew on the grave of Shurihandoku, a disciple of the Buddha who could not hold on to his own name, and Japanese households still half-joke that eating too much of it makes you forgetful. What you eat is the flower bud, pushed up at ground level separately from the leaves, not the rhizome its ginger cousins give.

In the kitchen

Shred it lengthways and soak the shreds five minutes in cold water to take the raw edge off, then drain hard. It goes on at the very end, over cold noodles or chilled tofu, never into the pan.

Goes with

Rice vinegar Soy sauce Miso Cucumber Shiso Katsuobushi (dried bonito) Silken tofu (kinugoshi) Sesame

Same species

Beni shoga Gari (pickled ginger) Ginger

Also used with

Junsai Mozuku Halfbeak (sayori) Shibazuke Striped jack (shima-aji) Bonito (katsuo)

In season alongside

Blue foot mushroom Chives Cilantro / Coriander Feijoa Jasmine pearl tea Lemon verbena

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