Chijimisai Mustard Greens

Image by Savvy Housekeeping

Chijimisai is a Japanese green from the brassica family (think kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli etc). The name translates to “wrinkled leafy greens,” Chijimu meaning to shrivel, and sai meaning leafy greens.

It’s an incredible nutritious green, chock-full of vitamin K, and C, plus about 4x as much vitamin A as carrots. If you’re familiar with Tatsoi (spinach adjacent) or Komatsuna (japanese mustard spinach), Chijimisai is actually a cross of the two!

The texture is velvety with a light umami flavor and the structure holds up wonderfully to braising. Consider it a strong contender for the green content in your next stir fry, soup, lasagna, pizza. Or if you want to keep it simple, braise it in a cast iron pan with neutral oil, soy sauce, an acid such as rice vinegar, and chili sauce.

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