Sansai/Japanese Wild Mountain Plants
Following the recent posting on the all-vegetable dinner at Tomii, Rich nicely asked me for more information, especially concerning the names of wild edible plants found in Japan as he rightly recognized it could come very handy to vegans and vegetarians everywhere!
Now, I titled this particular posting “Sansai/Wild Mountain Plants”, because they also include wild fruit that can be eaten both as vegetables and fruit with various preparations.
Some can be boiled, others fried, prepared as tempura, cooked in soup, prepared as pickles or jam, etc.
As it would become far too big (already massive, but inexhaustive) a posting if I wrote everything, please pick up one item at a time if you want more explanations and I will write an individual article for your pleasure!
Here we go:
(No particular order)
AINU NEGI: ALIUM VICTORIALIS
AKEBI: CHOCOLATE VINE
AMADOKORO: POLYGONATUM ODORATUM
AZAMI: THISTLE
FUKINOTO: GIANT BUTTERBUR
HAMABOUFUU: GLEHNIA LITTORALIS
HANGONSOU: SENECIO CANNABIFOLIUS
HASUKAPPU: LONICERA CAERULEA/HASCUP
HIKAGEHEGO: FLYING SPIDER MONKEY TREE FERN
IRAKUSA: URTICA THUNBERGIANA
ITADORI: JAPANESE KNOTWEED
KATAKURI: DOGTOOTH VIOLET
KIBOUSHI: PLANTAIN LILY HOSTA FORTINEI ( a variety of Hosta Montana)
KOGOMI: OSTRICH FERN (exists as green and red)
KOSHIABURA : ASCATHOPANAX SCIADOPHYLLOIDES
KUKO: CHINESE WOLFBERRY
KUSAGI: HARLEQUIN GLORY BOWER PEANUT BUTTER SHRUB
MATATABI: SILVER VINE
MITSUBA: JAPANESE HONEYWORT
NIRINSOU: ANEMONE FLACCIDA
NOBIRU: ALIUM MACROSTEMON
OYAMABOKUCHI: SYNURUS PUNGENS
RYOUBU: CLERTHRA BARBINERVIS
SARUNASHI: ACTINIA ARGUTA
SERI: JAPANESE PARSLEY
SUBERIYU: COMMON PURSLANE
TAKENOKO: BAMBOO SHOOTS (SPROUTS)
TANPOPO: DANDELION
TARA NO ME: ARALIA ELATA
TSUKUSHI: HORSETAIL
TSUROGANENINJIN: ADENOPHORA TRIPHYLLA
UDO: ARALIA CORDATA
YAMAUDO: same as UDO (above)
URUI: HOSTA MONTANA
WARABI: PTERIDIUM AQUILINUM
YAMABUDO: CRIMSON GLORY VINE
YAMAWASABI: WILD HORSERADISH
ZENMAI: OSMUNDA JAPONICA
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Still have to find the English names for the following ones!
AIKO
AKAMIZU
AOMIZU
INUDOUNA
SHIDOKE
May 26, 2011 at 12:42 pm |
What is the growing condition of this mountain plant? Thanks for a very informative article.
May 26, 2011 at 10:14 pm |
I’m afraid we usuallly cannot grow them, although some do in Japan. But the tastes don’t compare!
December 15, 2009 at 12:59 pm |
Hi Robert-Gille
Greetings from Norway! Thanks very much for this article – I hope in time that you could write some more as it’s very difficult for non-Japanese to get information on wild edibles used over there. I stumbled on this page as I’m working on an article on my favourite Asian perennial vegetables, most of which are also wild foraged. I have collected and am growing the following in my garden at 63.5 deg. N in Norway (I’ve added some comments which I hope you find useful):
AINU NEGI: ALIUM VICTORIALIS (this also grows in Europe and is called Victory Onion – the Japanese variety is I think a subspecies Allium victorialis ssp platyphyllum)
AMADOKORO: POLYGONATUM ODORATUM (called Angular Solomon’s Seal in the UK, I have this growing wild in my garden, but have never eaten it – how do you prepare it?)
FUKINOTO: GIANT BUTTERBUR (I have this but haven’t eaten it since I read that it may be carcinogenic….)
ITADORI: JAPANESE KNOTWEED (yes, a major invasive weed here, but excellent food – is this one commonly collected for food in Japan?)
KATAKURI: DOGTOOTH VIOLET (I’ve read about this being survival food in Siberia and have several plants, but it’s too nice to sacrifice for the kitchen! I will try one day)
KIBOUSHI: PLANTAIN LILY HOSTA FORTINEI (Hosta fortunei) – I have written an article on Hosta in food – I can send to you if I have your email. My favourite spring spinach!
KOGOMI: OSTRICH FERN (exists as green and red) (Matteuccia spp; I’ve never heard of a red ostrich fern –maybe it’s something else, not Ostrich Fern – do you have a picture)
MITSUBA: JAPANESE HONEYWORT (this is a favourite perennial herb – I also have a red leaved cultivar)
TAKENOKO: BAMBOO SHOOTS (SPROUTS) (I have several species)
TARA NO ME: ARALIA ELATA (is your picture at the right stage to harvest the leaves?)
TSUROGANENINJIN: ADENOPHORA TRIPHYLLA (I’ve had this one, but it doesn’t seem to like my climate – what do you use it for?)
UDO: ARALIA CORDATA (this is a favourite – I cover the shoots in the spring to blanch them)
URUI: HOSTA MONTANA (see above – this is I think the species used for Yuki Urui I think – blanched shoots)
YAMAWASABI: WILD HORSERADISH
Of your unknown plants, I think Inudouna is Cacalia hastate var tanakae (Cacalia spp also grow in the US and are called Inidian Plantains there). Haven’t managed to find seed of this one.
Aomizu – possibly Pilea spp (nettle family), but I’ve not heard of this family being used for food before.
Are there any places you can buy seed of these wild edible plants in Japan? There are several on your page I haven’t been able to obtain over here.
Sorry for all the questions. I hope to hear from you and keep up the excellent work!!
Best regards, Stephen
September 21, 2009 at 12:24 am |
I have several harlequin glory bowers growing in my front yard. I see the picture here. What part can be eaten and how is it prepared? Thank you. Denise Nkemontoh
September 24, 2009 at 1:57 am |
Dear Denise!
Greetings!
I’m no so sure which plant you are exactly refering to.
Which one in the article with its Japanese name?
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles