Mizuna (ミズナ(水菜), "water greens"), kyouna (京菜), Japanese mustard greens, or spider mustard is a cultivar of Brassica rapa var. niposinica.
Description and use
Mizuna has dark green, serrated leaves, and is described as having, when raw, a "piquant, mild peppery flavor...slightly spicy, but less so than arugula." Mizuna is often eaten as a raw green in salads, either alone or mixed with other leafy, spring-like greens. Mizuna is also sometimes prepared cooked, such as in stir-fries, soups, and nabemono (Japanese hot pot). It is also used as a garnish. At least a couple of varieties of mizuna have significant anthocyanin content, causing them to 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. Mizuna 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
External links PROTAbase on Brassica rapa "Brassica rapa". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 17 November 2006.