Vegetables

Yam bulbil

むかご　むかご　mukago

Also known asmukago

At its best in Oct, Nov

Yam bulbil (mukago), Japanese vegetable — Yam bulbil (mukago) is at its best in Oct, Nov. It is in the market from Sep to Dec.

When it is at its best

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

In seasonAvailable

How to cook

Yam bulbil: Mukago rice — Mukago rice

Cooked with the rice, for a floury bite and the scent of yam.

Yam bulbil: Deep-fried plain — Deep-fried plain

Fried and salted, which turns them fragrant.

Yam bulbil: Simmered after frying — Simmered after frying

Fried then simmered sweet and savoury. A drinker's dish.

Yam bulbil: Boiled — Boiled

Boiled in salted water and eaten as they are, plain and simple.

How to choose

Even in size, firm, with taut skin and no wrinkles.

Storage

A few days somewhere cool and dark. For longer, boil and freeze.

Main areas

Aomori
Nagano
Yamagata
Iwate

Good to know

Small bulbils that form where the leaves meet the vine of the yam plant. Fallen to the ground they sprout and in time become yams. They taste and smell exactly like yam, and appear for only a short spell in autumn. They must be picked by hand, so little reaches the market.

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