Being able to grow Japanese vegetables in our western climates is a great and healthy challenge. With Japanese food vegetables you must keep in mind that, like most vegetables, they are seasonal. Meaning they will not always be around or the best all year round. Here is a list of vegetables that are available to the United States and their benefits.
Leafy Japanese vegetables
Each of these leafy vegetables contains their own amount of nutritional value. The great thing is these are very common for consumption among the United States.
Hakusai is usually a vegetable that is found pickled. It can be put into many different types of hot dishes.
Horenso is also known as spinach. As you may know this is very popular and can be found in more than just dishes. It can be placed in smoothies and treats as well. Horenso is a great source to get vitamins,calcium and iron out of.
Komatsuna is known as the Japanese mustard spinach. This is usually found in salads or boiled dishes. It does in fact have the same nutritional value as spinach without the bitter taste. Now last but not least on the list of leafy vegetables, Shiso. Shiso is close in comparison to the herb mint. It even entails a minty flavor which is used in most Japanese soups and salads.
Root Japanese vegetables
Japanese root vegetables are a little more commonly used in everyday dishes opposed to the leafy vegetables and are very popular in Japanese food .
Daikon which is a giant white radish can be used in many things and many ways, making it very versatile. This type of radish can be spicier than most radishes. It can be eaten raw, grated,or even cooked. When it is cooked the spiciness does disappear.
Kabu is a turnip that can usually be found in boiled dishes or soups.
Jagaimo is a more recent type of Japanese vegetable. These have been very well adapted to western dishes.They can be made into dishes, soups, or even eaten a lone.
Tamanegi is one of the top vegetables produced in Japan. This is one of the most commonly used vegetables.