Japanese Food Tips

Japanese cabbage is not hard even if eaten raw. This is especially so for cabbage harvested in early spring, which is called haru-kyabetsu (spring cabbage). Spring cabbage is loosely wound, moisturized and especially soft. In Japan, seeds for most cabbage are sown in the summer, but spring cabbage seeds are sown in autumn. Regular cabbage is elliptical and is pale yellow-green in color. The leaves can be eaten raw, but are more suitable in fried and simmered dishes such as yakisoba (fried noodles) and rolled cabbage. Spring cabbage is slightly smaller and more round and has a bright yellow-green color. Because the leaves are soft (as mentioned earlier), they are suitable for salads and asa-zuke (Japanese slightly fermented pickles). Both cabbages are relatively sweet. The highest production areas for regular cabbage are Gunma and Aichi prefectures. Most spring cabbage is produced in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures. Gunma, Chiba and Kanagawa are in the Kanto area which includes Tokyo and Yokohama. Aichi is in the center of Japan, which includes Nagoya. If you are ever in Japan at this time, you will see spring cabbage in supermarkets.