Myoga

Myōga (茗荷) or myoga ginger (Zingiber mioga, Zingiberaceae) is an herbaceous, deciduous, perennial native to Japan that is grown for its edible flower buds and flavorful shoots. Flower buds are finely shredded and used in Japanese cuisine as a garnish for miso soup, sunomono and dishes such as roasted eggplant.

A traditional crop in Japan, myoga has been introduced to cultivation in Australia and New Zealand for export to the Japanese market.

As a woodland plant myoga has specific shade requirements for its growth. It is frost-tolerant to 0F, -18C possibly colder.

While some constituents of myoga are cytotoxic, others have shown promise for potentially anti-carcinogenic properties.

There is an old saying in Japan that eating too much myoga makes you forgetful or stupid.

External links

• More info and pics about myoga from the blog the scent of green bananas