Versatile seasonal green from Minamiboso

Nabana

Brand: Kato Saien

Price: 100 yen

Place of purchase: Belx Supermarket

Rating:

What is nabana? It's variously called turnip greens and rape seed in English. According to Japan Agriculture, this spring green is loaded with Vitamin C which boosts your ammunity. I picked up a bunch of these greens at a Chiba supermarket and go back for more every chance I get. Kato Saien, a producer in Minamiboso City, provides these greens to markets in the prefecture. The greens, sometimes with glowing yellow flowers, can be incorporated into a wide variety of dishes. I like mine blanced and dressed with simple seasonings.

Don't pass up this cheap and nutritious green in early spring. Kato Saien's nabana is available in supermarkets in Chiba Prefecture. The packaging, just a paper wrapper, is environmentally friendly, too. The greens are loaded with vitamin C, B1, B2, folic acid, calcium, and iron. I find the stems a bit tough, but I find that chopping them into bitesize pieces and blanching briefly in boiling water easily preps them. If you can make the trip to Minamiboso City, visit Kato Saien for their nabana soft cream. No end of uses for this spring veg!