''Cryptotaenia japonica'', also called East Asian wildparsley, Japanese cryptotaenia, Japanese honewort, white chervil mitsuba, Japanese wild parsley, stone parsley, honeywort, san ip, trefoil, and san ye qin (from ) is a plant species native to

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. The plant is edible and is commonly used as a garnish and root vegetable in Japan, and other Asian countries.

Culinary uses

''Cryptotaenia japonica'' is raised as a

seasoning Seasoning is the process of supplementing food via herbs, spices, salts, and/or sugar, intended to enhance a particular flavour. General meaning Seasonings include herbs and spices, which are themselves frequently referred to as "seasonings". Ho ...

(similar to

angelica ''Angelica'' is a genus of about 60 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far north as Iceland, Lapland, and Greenland. They grow t ...

). Like

parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region (Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, southern Italy, Greece, Por ...

, the flavor is clean and refreshing with a slightly bitter taste which some describe as celery-like. The sprouts are used in

salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...

s and soup. In Japan, it is commonly used as a garnish in soups or atop entrees or as a sushi ingredient. The white stems are blanched while they're tender, and have a taste similar to coriander. Two main regional varieties exist, the green

Kansai The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...

type, and the white Kantō type.

Nutritional benefits

Mitsuba's dark green leaves, stems, and pods have an extensive nutritional profile, including high levels of calcium and vitamin C.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Apioideae Flora of China Flora of Japan Flora of Korea Plants described in 1856