Tara no me
Pousse d’aralia
| Latin name | Aralia elata |
|---|---|
| Family | Vegetables |
| Origin | Japanese mountain woodland |
| Season (France) | March – May |
| Flavour | Bitter · Resinous · Earthy |
| Typical price (France) | 80–150 €/kg |
What it is
It is the terminal bud of a thorny tree and each shoot carries exactly one: take it and the tree pushes a second, take that one too and the branch dies. Japanese foragers hold to a one-bud rule for exactly that reason, and the commercial crop now comes mostly from cut branches forced in water sheds through the winter.
In the kitchen
Trim only the hard brown collar at the base and keep the bud whole; batter one side only so the leaves stay visible, and fry at 170°C for ninety seconds. Salt, not tentsuyu — the dipping sauce drowns the bitterness that is the entire reason to eat it.
Goes with
Sunflower oil Salt Sudachi Miso Walnut Soy sauce
Same species
In season alongside
Bagnoli truffle Alexanders Artichoke Bog myrtle Camus de Bretagne artichoke Dandelion greens
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