Vegetables Facts & Tips 20: Japanese Mustard Spinach/Komatsuna

This the 20th installment of a very long (yet incomplete) series of postings to share information on vegetables, especially the ones available in Japan as many expats (and Japanese) and friends abroad need more of such data for their daily requirements.
Please refer to VEGETABLES FACTS & TIPS for other vegetables!

Incidentally、 nothing, pictures included, is copyrighted in my food blogs, so please feel free to use anything!

Komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis or var. komatsuna, コマツナ（小松菜、冬菜、鶯菜) is a type of leaf vegetable. It is a variant of the same species as the common turnip. It is grown in Japan, Taiwan and Korea. It is also known as Japanese Mustard Spinach and is usually stir-fried, pickled, boiled and added to soups or used fresh in salads. It is an excellent source of calcium. It is also used for fodder in some Asian countries. The leaves of komatsuna may be eaten at any stage of their growth. In a mature plant they are dark green with slender light green stalks, around 30 cm long and 18 cm wide. It is most often grown in the spring and autumn, as it cannot endure extreme heat or cold for more than a short time.

That for the Wikipedia information.

FACTS:

-Komatsuna is a very interesting vegetable as it contains a lot of calcium to be added to Potassium and Natrium.
-It is also rich in Vitamin A Beta carotenes, K, B2, C and vegetal fibers.
-Season: December to February and longer in colder countries.
-Originally it was grown in Eastern Japan in Edo Times, but is now available in Osaka and other cities.
-Combined with fish it is particularly beneficient to human bones.

TIPS:

-Can be eaten raw or cooked, sligtly bpoied and stir-fried.

-To preserve more easily, boil them lightly before storing in the fridge.
Ought to be wrapped in newspaper and stored inside the fridge if raw. Can be stored that way for p to 3 days.

-To preserve it beautiful green colour, boil it lightly and trnsfer it immediately into iced water. As it will change colour in contact with oil, add dressing at the very last second.

COOKING SUGGESTIONS:

With pasta!

Komatsuna Bread for vegetarians!

For vegetable and fruit juice!

Komatsuna Kimchi!

VARIETY:

Chijimi Komatsu

A smaller and “frizzled” variety, sweeter than the usual komatsuna.
Can be eaten the same way. Great slightly boiled with ground sesame seeds and dressing.

HEALTH FACTS:

-Combined with dried sardine whiting, or with sakura ebi/Cherry blossom shrimps, or with scallops, or with konbu/seaweed, helps preserve human bones, and activate rejuvenation.

-Combined with tomatoes, or with wakame seaweed, or with carrots, or with green chili peppers, povides for extra stamina, and helps prevent cancer.

-Combined with rice vinegar, or with orange, or with lemon, or with strawberries, helps prevent stress, and sore back/articulations, and helps swift recovery.

-Combined with konnyaku/devil’s tongue tuber, or with mushrooms, or with celery, or with bamboo shoots, helps combat obesity and prevent high blood pressure. Helps lower down blood cholesterol.