Name: Komatsuna, also called Japanese mustard spinach (Brassica rapa var. perviridis) — a hardy, dark green leaf vegetable with a mild, mustard-spinach flavour. It is named after Komatsugawa, a village in what is now Tokyo.
Description
Komatsuna is a type of turnip relative, grown for its leaves rather than a root, and was developed in Japan, where it has been a popular winter vegetable since the Edo period. Legend says the shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune named it when he enjoyed it in a soup at Komatsugawa.
It is tolerant of cold and heat, and quick to grow, and its leaves are tender, with a slightly sweet, mildly peppery taste, and little bitterness, and much less oxalic acid than spinach. It can be eaten raw when young or cooked in minutes.
Main nutrition value
Komatsuna is rich in vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A and calcium, and notably low in oxalate, which means its calcium is better absorbed than that from spinach.
How best to be consumed
Komatsuna is cooked briefly, or eaten raw when young.
- Blanch and dress with sesame, soy or bonito flakes, as in Japanese ohitashi.
- Stir-fry with tofu, garlic or mushrooms.
- Add to miso soup, noodle soups and hot pots.
- Eat young leaves raw in salads and smoothies.
- Wash well, and cook briefly to keep it bright.
Overconsumption could cause…
Komatsuna is safe and healthy in food amounts.
- Possible effects on warfarin and similar blood-thinning medicines because of the high vitamin K content, so keep intake steady rather than avoiding them.
- Bloating and gas from the fibre and fermentable carbohydrates in brassica greens.
- Possible effects on thyroid function in people with an underactive thyroid or iodine deficiency if very large amounts are eaten raw, since brassicas contain goitrogens; normal cooked servings are fine.
- Foodborne illness from poorly washed leaves, so rinse well, especially bagged and ready-to-eat salad.
Wikipedia — Komatsuna, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komatsuna
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