View source for Biology:Komatsuna

{{Short description|Variety of leaf vegetable}}
{{Taxobox 
| image = Komatsuna.jpg
| regnum = [[Biology:Plant|Plant]]ae
| unranked_divisio = [[Biology:Angiosperms|Angiosperms]]
| unranked_classis = [[Biology:Eudicots|Eudicots]]
| unranked_ordo = [[Biology:Rosids|Rosids]]
| ordo = [[Biology:Brassicales|Brassicales]]
| familia = [[Biology:Brassicaceae|Brassicaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Biology:Brassica|Brassica]]''
| species = ''[[Biology:Brassica rapa|Brassica rapa]]''
| varietas = '''''B. rapa'' var. ''perviridis'''''
|trinomial = ''Brassica rapa'' var. ''perviridis''
}}

{{nihongo3||{{Ruby-ja|小松菜|コマツナ}}|'''Komatsuna'''}} or '''Japanese mustard spinach''' (''Brassica rapa'' var. ''perviridis'') is a leaf vegetable. It is a [[Biology:Variety (botany)|variety]] of ''[[Biology:Brassica rapa|Brassica rapa]]'', the plant [[Biology:Species|species]] that yields the [[Biology:Turnip|turnip]], [[Biology:Mizuna|mizuna]], [[Biology:Napa cabbage|napa cabbage]], and [[Biology:Rapini|rapini]]. It is grown commercially in {{wipe|Japan}} and Taiwan. It is a versatile vegetable that is cooked and eaten in many ways. The plant is also used for fodder in some Asian countries.

The leaves of komatsuna may be eaten at any stage of their growth. In a mature plant they are dark green with slender light green stalks, around 30 centimeters (12") long and 18&nbsp;cm (7") wide. It is most often grown in the spring and autumn, as it cannot endure [[Earth:Heat wave|extreme heat]] or cold for more than a short time. Although nowadays it's grown year-round in greenhouses.

== History ==
[[File:Katori shrine of Shin-Koiwa.jpg|thumb|Katori Shrine of Shin-Koiwa]]
The name ''komatsuna'' means 'greens of Komatsu' in Japanese, a reference to the village of {{ill|Komatsugawa|ja|小松川}} in Edogawa, Tokyo, where it was heavily grown during the Edo period.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gogen-allguide.com/ko/komatsuna.html|website=語源由来辞典|title=小松菜 （こまつな） - 語源由来辞典|date=29 October 2006 |accessdate=20 May 2015}}</ref> It was named by Tokugawa Yoshimune, the eighth [[Social:Shogun|shogun]], who visited Edogawa in 1719 for hunting and stopped at the local Katori Shrine for lunch. The shrine priest served him soup with a rice cake and a local leaf vegetable. The shogun was impressed by the flavor of the vegetable so much and named it ''komatsuna'', after the nearby Komatsu River<ref>{{cite web |title=Cultivating pure tastes from the past |date=20 December 2009 |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2009/12/20/general/cultivating-pure-tastes-from-the-past/ |publisher=The Japan Times |accessdate=13 February 2020}}</ref> (which gives the village its name). Till this day, the Shin-Koiwa Katori Shrine offers komatsuna to the deities on New Year's Eve. People who come to the shrine to pray on New Year's Day are also given komatsuna for good luck in the new year.

Since the days of the shogun, komatsuna has been bred to have a sweeter taste. The old variety thought to have been served to the shogun is not widely available. That variety is called ''Goseki bansei''. It grows faster and has bigger but fewer leaves than ordinary komatsuna, and a strong, spicy flavor.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

==Cooking==
{{nutritionalvalue
| name=Mustard spinach, raw
| kJ=92
| protein=2.2 g
| fat=0.3 g
| carbs=3.9 g
| fiber=2.8 g
| calcium_mg=210
| iron_mg=1.5
| magnesium_mg=11
| phosphorus_mg=28
| potassium_mg=449
| sodium_mg=21
| zinc_mg=0.17
| manganese_mg=0.407
| vitC_mg=130
| thiamin_mg=0.068
| riboflavin_mg=0.093
| niacin_mg=0.678
| pantothenic_mg=0.178
| vitB6_mg=0.153
| folate_ug=159
| vitA_ug=495
| source_usda = 1
| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168438/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
Komatsuna has a fresh, sweet taste and a crunchy texture. It is a very versatile vegetable and can be eaten raw, pickled, stir-fried, boiled, used fresh in salads, or added to soups. It is popular in soups as it can stay firm after being simmered. It is an excellent source of [[Chemistry:Calcium|calcium]], vitamin A, and vitamin C.<ref>{{Cite web| last = Queensland Government, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.| title = Komatsuna: Commercial Production.| url = http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/horticulture/5308.html| accessdate = 27 June 2007| url-status = dead| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090823032916/http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/horticulture/5308.html| archivedate = 23 August 2009}}</ref>

==See also==
*''[[Biology:Brassica juncea|Brassica juncea]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q4383692}}

[[Category:Brassica]]



{{Sourceattribution|Komatsuna}}