Myoga
| Myōga | |
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(Zingiber_mioga)-%E8%8A%B1_(5852495693).jpg)
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| Species: | Z. mioga
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| Binomial name | |
| Zingiber mioga | |
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Myoga, myoga ginger or Japanese ginger (myōga (茗荷)) is the species Zingiber mioga in the Zingiberaceae family. It is a deciduous herbaceous perennial native to Japan, China, and the southern part of Korea.[1][2][3] Only its edible flower buds and flavorful shoots are used in cooking.[4] The flower buds are finely shredded and used in Japanese cuisine as a garnish for miso soup, sunomono, and dishes such as roasted eggplant. In Korean cuisine, the flower buds are skewered alternately with pieces of meat and then are pan-fried.
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Plants -
Fruits with red interiors and black seeds with a whitish aril -
Buds prepared for sale
Cultivation
A traditional crop in Japan, myoga ginger has been introduced to cultivation in Australia and New Zealand for export to the Japanese market.[3]
As a woodland plant, myoga has specific shade requirements for its growth. It is frost-tolerant to −16 °C (3 °F), and possibly colder.[3]
Three variegated cultivars are known: 'Dancing Crane', 'Silver Arrow' and 'White Feather'. They are less cold-hardy than unvariegated plants.[3]
Medicinal properties
Some constituents of myoga are cytotoxic; others have shown promise for potentially anticarcinogenic properties.[5]
References
- ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ Flora of China v 24 p 332, 蘘荷 rang he, Zingiber mioga (Thunberg) Roscoe, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 8: 348. 1807.
- ^ a b c d Cole TCH, Nürnberger S "Zingiber mioga and its Cultivars," The Plantsman. Royal Horticultural Society. December 2014, 4: 226-229.
- ^ Matsuhisa, Nobu and Mark Edwards. (2007). Nobu West, p. 252.
- ^ Ha Won Kim et al. "Suppressive Effects of Mioga Ginger and Ginger Constituents on Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species Generation, and the Expression of Inducible Pro-Inflammatory Genes in Macrophages," Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. November/December 2005, 7(11-12): 1621-1629]; retrieved 2013-8-4.
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