"Okahijiki" is a traditional vegetable originating from Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture, and is a nutritious land-based hijiki!

Okahijiki? Hijiki? You may be wondering what it means for seaweed to be called oka

In Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture, hijiki seaweed grown in the fields, known as "okahijiki," adds color to the dining table. We would like to introduce the appeal of okahijiki, a seaweed that is not often seen or heard of outside of the prefecture.

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What is Okahijiki?

Okahijiki is an annual plant of the Amaranthaceae family, and is also known as miruna (water mustard greens)

This wild plant grows in saline sandy areas, and in Japan it is cultivated as a vegetable, with the young leaves and stems being eaten since ancient times

It is said that it was named Okahijiki because the leaves resemble the seaweed hijiki

The origin of the okahijiki that came to be cultivated was Sunatsuka Village, Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture (now Nanyo City), which was inland and far from the sea

Why did cultivation spread inland? It is said that during the Edo period, seeds of Okahijiki, which grew wild on Shonaihama in northern Yamagata Prefecture, got mixed up in shipping cargo and ended up in Nanyo City, where there was a dock in the Mogami River basin

By the way, it seems that Japan is the only country where okahijiki is cultivated as a vegetable

Most of the crops are grown in greenhouses or tunnels, and if humidity builds up, they are prone to disease and can even die overnight. Since they are grown almost entirely without pesticides, it seems like they have a constant struggle with insects

However, thanks to the hard work of these farmers, we consumers are able to eat okahijiki with peace of mind, which is something we are grateful for

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Okahijiki is thin and I wonder if it has any nutritional value!

Okahijiki a green and yellow vegetable rich in carotene .

Its potassium content is among the highest of any vegetable, and it is also rich in calcium, iron, vitamin K, magnesium, and manganese

Although the leaves are thin and it looks like it's just a stem, it is actually a surprisingly nutritious vegetable

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How do you eat it to make it taste good?

The most common way to cook it is by dipping it in soy sauce .

It's a simple dish that just requires adding soy sauce or noodle soup, but the crunchy texture of the okahijiki is sure to become addictive

Adding a little mayonnaise makes it a big hit with children , and it's even featured on the school lunch menus at local elementary and junior high schools in Nanyo City.

Okahijiki itself has a mild flavor, so it is popular to further increase its nutritional value

When mixed with mustard, it is popular as a snack to go with alcohol. I think it goes especially well with sake

It is also used in a wide variety of dishes, such as tempura, stir-fries, and as a garnish for sashimi, and is available in the market for a long period of time, making it a very popular traditional vegetable in Yamagata Prefecture

How to choose when buying and what to be careful of when cooking

Although it seems that okahijiki is rarely shipped outside the prefecture, it is becoming more common to see it in markets in neighboring prefectures, and cultivation itself appears to be spreading to other areas

recommended to buy smaller ones as the stems become tough as the plant grows larger . The reddish part near the base is tough and inedible, so cut it off before cooking.

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summary

Just hearing the word "okahijiki" makes it hard to imagine what it is. Hijiki is generally a type of seaweed, so I never thought it would be a vegetable

When we looked into the origins of okahijiki, we found that it has been cultivated for food since the early Edo period, making it a surprisingly old vegetable

Okahijiki is a vegetable so beloved by the people of the prefecture that it is even served in school lunches in Nanyo City, where it originated. Delicious and nutritious, okahijiki is a vegetable that you should definitely try if you have the chance

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