Myoga Tsukemono

Myoga ginger (Zingiber Mioga) is a Japanese species of ginger prized for its edible shoots and flower buds. I first had it on my honeymoon to Japan over chilled tofu as a garnish, and must admit the flavor was a bit strange to me–like ginger but with something floral in it. Unprocessed is not my favorite way to eat it but it is absolutely divine as tempura or pickles, known as tsukemono in Japanese.

I stuck some shoots in a shady corner of my garden, underneath some plum trees along with a patch of musk strawberries. I interplant heavily, and the shoots that come up looking almost like a miniature bamboo forest that reaches about hip height for me. It spreads steadily via rhizomes and thrives in full shade. I often pluck some up and plop it into a new shady spot, to crowd out unwanted weeds.

They are quite cold tolerant which is surprising for a ginger (its cousins require hot tropical climates to grow well in), and where I am in zone 7B, have hit -16 windchill and still come up unbothered the next year.

July into early September are when the flower buds start poking out of the ground at the base of the shoots. They are easy to miss but adorable when you find them: plump, reddish, and fragrant. The flowers then erupt from under each cuticle of the bud, white and for some reason attracts ants. They must love it as well.

You pick them, snapping them off at the base, right before they flower, a quick wash and blanche to remove some astringency, and into a pickling solution base of sugar, salt, and rice vinegar. It turns a gorgeous pink color. From there you can experiment with different flavors–I have made yuzu kosho flavored, peach flavored, blackcurrant flavored, and shiso-ume flavored all of which have been received quite well by friends and family! Those flavoring are from my garden but you can purchase the ingredients in store too.

Served with white rice or in rice balls, on udon or soba, they’re a delicious side dish that you can easily store into winter.

The leaves of myoga can be used to wrap rice cakes and grilled, and the young green shoots are sometimes steamed with rice in the early spring. It’s a wonderful perennial edible to add to your garden!