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Japanese Roots |
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| 2007/01/15 |
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| An unusual vegetable from Japan. |
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| That’s a strange looking vegetable. What is it? |
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| It’s called nagaimo or Chinese yam. Nagaimo means long potato in Japanese, which is appropriate for a long, hairy, beige root vegetable such as this. It is also known as “mountain eel” or “mountain medicine”. In Chinese it is known as Huai Shan, Shan Yao or Huai Shan Yao. |
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| Does that means it’s Japanese or Chinese? |
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| Forty percent of nagaimo comes from Aomori prefecture in Japan where a cold mountain climate makes it ideal for producing quality nagaimo. However, nagaimo originally came from China and was only later introduced in Japan. Nagaimo was also exported to Europe in the 19th century when disease decimated potato crops. However, it never really took off or became widely established in Europe. |
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| So how is it grown? |
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| The season is as follows: in May a healthy nagaimo is chosen as ‘mother potato’ to make seed potatoes. The mother potato is cut into pieces, each around 30 grams. These seeds are placed side by side a finger space apart, and nets are thrown over them. By June sprouts start to emerge and by October the nagaimo is almost ready to harvest. In November farmers dig the soil out around then agaimo using a special narrow spade and a machine called a “mini mole”. The nagaimo is finally dug out by hand. November and December are the best months for harvesting nagaimo. |
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| To be honest, it doesn’t look very appetizing. What does it taste like? |
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| Nagaimo has a very plain taste without any seasoning. It’s kind of like a supporting actor in a great film – you need to match it with a star for a great dining experience! |
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| How do you eat it then? |
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In Japanese cuisine, nagaimo is often eaten raw and grated. Grated nagaimo is known as ‘tororo’ which is mixed with tsuyu broth. A bowl of rice with tororo is known as Tororo Gohan, or try it with a bowl of udon noodles as Tororo Udon. Raw tuna (maguro sashimi) can be served with grated nagaimo.
If you catch cold, try a special drink known as ‘tororozake’. Mix grated nagaimo and sake together. Add a pinch of salt and warm to slightly higher than your body temperature. Drink and ward off the chills or winter. In the summer, try nagaimo in a salad – cut into thin slices and serve with a soy sauce and sesame oil dressing.
In Taiwan, nagaimo juice is popular. Put 50g skinless nagaimo, 400cc milk, 30g sugar, 2 tbsp condensed milk, a few drops of vanilla essence and some ice cubes into a blender and whizz well for a healthy treat. |
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| Nutrition Tips |
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| Nagaimo contains vitamin B, vitamin C, zinc, potassium, and iron as well as digestive enzymes like amylase and diastase which help digestion. To keep those digestive enzymes effective, it’s better not to heat nagaimo. |
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| Did You Know? |
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| Nagaimo grows best in cold climates. |
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 | Delicatessen & Cheese |
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| Cheese Basics |
| As you can tell from the cheese assortment... |
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