Mizuna

Description and use

Possessing dark green, serrated leaves, mizuna is described as having, when raw, a "piquant, mild peppery flavor...slightly spicy, but less so than arugula." It is also used in stir-fries, soups, and nabemono (Japanese hot pot).

At least a couple novel varieties of mizuna have significant anthocyanin content, causing them to instead have pinkish to dark purple stems and/or leaves.

Varieties

In addition to the term mizuna (and its alternates) being applied to at least two different species of Brassica, horticulturalists have defined and named a number of varieties. For example, a resource provided by Cornell University and the United States Department of Agriculture lists sixteen varieties including "Early Mizuna", "Kyona Mizuna", "Komatsuna Mizuna", "Vitamin Green Mizuna", "Kyoto Mizuna", "Happy Rich Mizuna", "Summer Fest Mizuna", "Tokyo Early Mizuna", "Mibuna Mizuna", "Red Komatsuna Mizuna", "Waido Mizuna" and "Purple Mizuna". "Benigoromo" and "Pinky Pop" varieties with anthocyanins also exist.

Cultivation

Mizuna has been cultivated in Japan since ancient times. Mizuna was successfully grown in the International Space Station in 2019. It grows in hardiness zones 4 to 9, prefers full sun or partial shade, well-drained soil and a pH of 6.5–7.0. It can be grown as a microgreen, sowing every 3 cm, or for its leaves, with 20 cm spacing. It is produced by more than 30 countries around the world, but China, Japan, South Korea, India and the United States together account for 70% of global production.

References

References

1. Bittman, Mark. (2012). "Leafy Greens: An A-to-Z Guide to 30 Types of Greens Plus More than 120 Delicious Recipes". Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
2. Carignan, Christa. (3 January 2007). "Discovering Mizuna".
3. "Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners - Search Results".
4. "Mizuna Seeds, Benigoromo". Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
5. "Mizuna Seeds, Pinky Pop". Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
6. Gohd, Chelsea. (22 November 2019). "Astronauts Enjoy Space Veggies and Look to the Future of Cosmic Salads".
7. Iannotti, Marie. (8 June 2022). "Mizuna Plant Profile".
8. "Global mizuna production". husfarm.com.