Shungiku

Shungiku isn’t a familiar plant to most people… but it’s more familiar than they may think.

It’s actually edible chrysanthemum, a close cousin of that flowering plant that we buy in pots by the thousands in fall, with its beautiful little button flowers and peppery but sweet fragrance.

Shungiku isn’t a widely known salad ingredient in the West. But in Japan, where its name literally means “spring chrysanthemum”, it’s widely used fresh and raw from the garden in salads, or lightly cooked in soups.

It has a very distinctive, herb-like aroma and a slightly mustardy flavor. Its small, deeply lobed leaves have a crispy texture. It’s usually harvested long before it flowers, when it’s just four to eight inches tall, but it can be allowed to mature to 18 or even 24 inches tall and its flowers eaten or used as a salad garnish.

It has a long culinary history in Japan, back to the 17th century, and was used in China as a healing herb for centuries before that. It’s now common in many other parts of the Far East, including the cuisines of Hong Kong, Korea and Vietnam.

It’s loaded with nutrients, including potassium. A 100-gram serving of raw shungiku greens provides 460 milligrams – about 30 percent more potassium than a similar serving of bananas contains, according to HealWithFood.

It is also rich in beta-carotene, the Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, iron, calcium and dietary fiber. It has more beta-carotene than spinach and other winter leafy greens, providing an antioxidant action that helps provide protection against cancer as well as an anti-aging effect.

In addition, shungiku leaves are very low in calories, with a 100-gram serving containing only 22.

Shungiku’s health benefits are more effective when the leaves are used raw or very lightly cooked. Overcooking will destroy the aroma and result in softer texture. When used in soups, it’s best to chop it up and add it in the last couple of minutes of heating.

Shungiku can also be used as a side dish, blanched lightly and served with a dressing. And it makes a good flavor addition to omelets, pasta sauces and even pizza.