Vegetables
Japanese honewort
三つ葉 みつば mitsuba
Also known asmitsuba
At its best in Apr, May
When it is at its best
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
In seasonAvailable
How to cook
In clear soup
Knotted and laid in the bowl, for scent and colour.
Ohitashi
Blanched briefly and steeped in dashi.
Kakiage
Chopped and fried with other ingredients, which lifts the aroma.
Bound with egg
Scattered over oyako-don and similar dishes at the end.
How to choose
Fresh-looking leaves on straight, unbroken stems, with a strong scent.
Storage
Sensitive to drying. Root-on bunches stand in water in the fridge. Once chopped, use the same day.
Main areas
Good to know
Named for the three leaflets on each stem. Three growing methods give root mitsuba, cut mitsuba and thread mitsuba, each used differently. One of the few vegetables native to Japan. Overheating drives off the scent, so it goes in last.
