Mibuna- Green Spray, Hybrid
Brassica rapa var japonica
This Japanese green, is one of the easiest food crops you can grow. The plants produce tight 1ft tall clusters of sword-like leaves, that have a sweet, very light mustard flavor. Enjoy this cut-and-come-again green in a salad, in a light stir-fry, steamed, or even pickled. Because of the ease of growing, and it's heavy production, this is definitely one that we highly recommend. Because you may not be familiar with this vegetable, we have included a recipe below.
|
Days to germination |
3-10 days |
|
Days to maturity |
30-40 days |
|
Life cycle |
Annual |
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Plant time |
Mid Fall to late Winter (when its cool) |
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Spacing |
8-18 inches |
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Sun |
Full sun to part shade |
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Soil temperature |
68-75 F |
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Optimum soil P.H |
6.2 -6.8 |
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Height |
10-15 inches |
|
Harvest |
Late Fall to early Spring |
Stir fried mibuna with garlic and fish sauce
Source: Shutterstock
This quick stir-fry side dish is adapted from a couple of Thai-style recipes for oriental leaves. The fish sauce will provide enough salt, so you shouldn’t have to add any extra. Serves: 2.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch mizuna/ mibuna, about 300 grams
- 2 cloves garlic
- Thumb-sized knob of ginger
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
- 1/4 lemon, fresh
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Wash and drain the mizuna/ mibuna. Roughly chop into 1-inch segments and set aside. Finely chop the garlic and shred the ginger into matchstick-like strips.
Place a wide and shallow pan or a wok over a high heat. Add the two tablespoons of oil, then the garlic and ginger, and toss around until golden.
Add the greens to the wok or pan and stir fry for one minute, stirring constantly. The leaves should soften but remain crisp. Add the fish sauce and stir, then sprinkle with freshly-squeezed lemon juice and black pepper. Serve warm or tepid