Like this:

The other day one of my colleagues taught me about some signs of Spring in Japanese culture, those plants and animals that first appear signalling the change of seasons. These are important for and often used in haiku, which frequently depict the characteristics of the four seasons.

Besides the Red Robin and the general first stems above the ground, I couldn’t really think of some parallel examples across the pond, but Japan has a few: The ウグイス Japanese Warbler, 土筆 horsetail, and 蕗の薹 Fuki flower buds.  The last two are apparently edible!

Sitting in a little bowl across from my desk on the wall cabinet’s counter were a couple bulb-like flower buds enclosed in the plant’s leaves. I soon learned that these were Fuki flower buds, which pop up even before the snow melts (in regions where there is snow that accumulates).  It’s one you need to be quick to harvest, and the buds have a bitter flavour, but they’re fried up in tempura or cooked with miso.  Last year I think I got to try some in tempura form, but I’m not entirely sure it was Fuki.

蕗の薹 Fuki flower buds in a bowl at school.

I found a web site about Fuki flower buds even including a recipe, and mostly for practice I decided to translate it.  Enjoy!

Fuki flower buds are messengers of Spring that reveal their faces without waiting for the thawing of snow. It’s the earliest edible wild plant to come out.  Its peculiar aroma and bittersweet taste allows one to feel the breath of spring.  We say “On the plate of Spring, a bitter flavour flourishes” [in reference to it.]

Shedding the fat built up during the span of Winter, its essence tightens, stimulating its flavour and permitting it to start a year of living. Bears that have woke from hibernation start off by eating Fuki flower buds and other things?

Breed
Perennial of the Aster family, Fuki genus.  A edible wild plant and vegetable native to Japan.  “Fuki no to” is the Fuki flower’s bud, and the bud itself independently emerges from the ground before leaves develop.  Bearing the cold, bracts (leaves) surround and enclose many buds.  If unharvested, before you can say “Ah!” it grows a stalk and its flowers bloom.  Delayed, leaves attached to a rhizome (underground stem) emerge.

Habitat and Season
It is growing wild in the countryside all over Japan.  It seems to love shady places rich in moisture.  Depending on the location its season differs, but in the neighbourhood of the Kanto region’s plains it’s from February to March.  On mountains it’s between March and April.

Way of Eating
As for tempura, the trick is to fry it at a low temperature and while in the process of frying, the buds will open and the bitter flavour will disappear.  Also, cut it into small pieces and combine it with miso, boil and soak it, or fry it in oil, et cetera.

Fuki Flower Bud Miso
Boil 4 Fuki flower bud bulbs in water for 1 minute and then put it in cold water. Cut it into fine pieces and press out the moisture.  Separately, mix 2 tablespoons of miso paste, 1 tablespoon of mirin, 1 tablespoon of nihonshu (sake), and one teaspoon of sugar and stir.  Heat the mixture in a pot and let it cool, and then stir in the finely chopped Fuki flower buds.  It takes time, but if you use an earthenware mortar for grinding the finely chopped Fuki flower buds, you’ll finish with an elegant flavour.

It’s an edible wild plant enjoyable for its bitter taste, but you can select one of the following things to reduce the bitterness.

•    Fuki flower buds from warm areas of the South.
•    Not very developed, small buds.
•    Just-harvested buds.

By all means, in case you want to keep the bitter flavour, the aroma will also be lost if you boil it and rinse it in cold water to remove the astringent taste.  Also, if you stir-fry it in oil the bitter flavour becomes reduced.