adventure experience

What is Junsai? A detailed introduction to delicious ways to eat it and events to attend [Mitane Town, Akita Prefecture]

When you travel, do you look forward to buying precious vegetables that can only be grown in that area as souvenirs?

In this article, we will provide detailed information about Junsai, a specialty of Mitane Town, Akita Prefecture, that is perfect for such people

What is Junsai?

Junsai is a perennial aquatic plant of the Nymphaeaceae family. It is characterized by the stems and floating leaves that grow from rhizomes that grow from the bottom of swamps and ponds, covering the water surface like lotus leaves in summer

The slimy young shoots and petioles are picked and eaten, but the fresh watercress can only be eaten from June to early August

According to the results of the "2010 Regional Specialty Vegetable Production Survey" conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2010, the water shield harvest yield was as follows:

  1. Akita Prefecture 103 tons
  2. Aomori Prefecture 75t
  3. Yamagata Prefecture 12 tons
  4. Hokkaido 1 ton
  5. Ibaraki Prefecture 1 ton

Junsai is considered a luxury vegetable because its season is short and the national harvest is 192 tons

Also, if you look up the nutritional content of 100g of Junsai in a food ingredient database, you will find that it contains 16µg of vitamin K, which prevents calcium loss from bones, 1g of dietary fiber, which prevents a sudden rise in blood sugar levels, 2g of potassium, which prevents swelling, and only 4kcal of calories, making it a healthy vegetable

Reference: Junsai JAPAN "What is Junsai?"

Reference: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "2010 Regional Specialty Vegetable Production Status Survey"

Reference: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology "Food Composition Database Junsai"

Where can I buy Junsai

Junsai is such a valuable plant, so many people may be wondering where they can buy it

Fresh water shield is only sold during the season, but processed water shield, such as bottled water shield, is available all year round

You can find some gift items by searching online, but small packs for everyday side dishes may be sold out due to their affordable price, so if you want to get your hands on them, it's best to buy them early

How to eat Junsai

We will introduce how to eat fresh watercress

Ingredients (for 1 person)

  • Watercress (1 pack)
  • Ice water (appropriate amount)

How to make

  1. Put the Junsai into a bowl of water and wash it lightly
  2. Drain the water through a colander, being careful not to remove the slime from the Junsai
  3. Boil water in a pot and add the Junsai once it boils
  4. Once the water shield has turned green, place it in ice water to cool
  5. Once cooled, drain in a colander

After this, if it is hot, you can stimulate your appetite by combining it with pickled plums as an ingredient in chilled dashi chazuke, or if it is cold, you can add it to miso soup in combination with mitsuba or grated kelp

About events related to Junsai

Mitane Town in Akita Prefecture is a famous producer of water shield, and there are also fun water shield-related events held there, so we will introduce two of them

Junsai picking experience

In Mitane Town, Akita Prefecture, you can experience picking water shields in a water shield swamp

You can experience harvesting water shields by boarding a special boat in a marsh about 50 to 60 cm deep, steering with a stick, and take the water shields you pick home as a souvenir

If you are interested, please contact the tourist information center

INFORMATION

Junsai picking experience

World Water Shield Picking Championship

The World Water Shield Picking Championship is held in Mitane Town, Akita Prefecture

The competition involves competing to see who can harvest the most crops within a one-hour time limit, and it is so popular that participants come from overseas, with slots filling up within a few hours of applications opening

There are solo and pair divisions, and the winning weight limit in the solo division is around 1,500g, and in the pair division it is around 1,600g

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event has been canceled in 2020 and 2021, but if you would like to participate, please contact the Tourist Information Center

Official URL: Mitane Town Tourism Association – Announcements and Event Information

lastly

Junsai has a very low yield and is one of the rare vegetables in the country, but we learned that it is cherished by local people and plays a role in revitalizing Mitane Town in Akita Prefecture

Please try incorporating delicious water shield into your seasonal meals

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