, Brassica rapa var. hakabura, is a Japanese leaf vegetable, a cultivated variety of Brassica rapa in the brassica family. It is a biennial plant often pickled that has been cultivated in the Shin'etsu region, centered around the village of Nozawaonsen, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture. It is of the same species as the common turnip and one of a number of Japanese varieties of leaf mustard.

Also known as , it is counted as one of Japan's three major pickled vegetables, along with and . After World War II, it grew nationwide, from Hokkaido to Kumamoto.

Background

Nozawana is part of the turnip family. Currently, it is thought to be a different variety derived from the turnip (var. hakabura, turnip greens), and is currently being used as a traditional pickled vegetable grown in the area (inekokina, haburona, narusawana, chōzenna). Both turnips and purple turnips (Suwa beni turnip, Hososhima turnip, etc.) are thought to be closely related.

Tradition holds that sometime between 1751 and 1764 the plant was brought from the Kyoto mountains to the village of Nozawaonsen by the master of a Buddhist temple, , who lived in Nozawa. It has been cultivated around that area ever since, and thus is now called "Nozawana" (na means vegetable in Japanese). Also known as , nozawana is one of Japan's three major pickled vegetables, along with and . <!-- Nozawana is not Asian like daikon, but has strong European characteristics, and closely related species have been found in Fukushima Prefecture. -->

Pickled nozawana is among the most typical local foods in Nagano Prefecture. It is also used in onigiri. Before the Taishō era (1912–1926), local villagers called the plant a turnip. Skiers from the city who visited a local ski resort were so impressed by the pickled turnip that they nicknamed it "Nozawanazuke".

Its leaves are approximately long. If left to overwinter without harvesting, the rapeseed will sprout and yellow rapeseed flowers will bloom in the spring. The greens are washed in a (i.e. onsen), and then soaked in a large wooden bucket. In its preparation, each family has their own seasonings.

There are honzuke (pickled shallots), which have undergone lactic acid fermentation and has turned amber color, and with a light pickle, remains green.

In 1983, Nagano Prefecture selected nozawana pickles as a "Nagano Prefecture Selected Intangible Folk Cultural Property, Cultural Property of Shinano Taste."

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File:Mentaiko bento.jpg |Mentaiko and nozawana on rice

File:Nozawana04.jpg|Nozawana sold in bundles

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Further reading

See also

  • Tsukemono
  • Onsen tamago

References