Myoga

For the Inuyasha character, see Myōga.
Myōga
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Zingiber
Species: Z. mioga
Binomial name
Zingiber mioga
(Thunb.) Roscoe
Synonyms[1]
  • Amomum mioga Thunb.
  • Zingiber mijooka Siebold, spelling variation
  • Zingiber sjooka Siebold
  • Zingiber mioga var. variegatum Makino
  • Zingiber echuanense Y.K.Yang

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.

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

  1. 1 2 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ↑ Flora of China v 24 p 332, 蘘荷 rang he, Zingiber mioga (Thunberg) Roscoe, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 8: 348. 1807.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Cole TCH, Nürnberger S "Zingiber mioga and its Cultivars," The Plantsman. Royal Horticultural Society. December 2014, 4: 226-229.
  4. ↑ Matsuhisa, Nobu and Mark Edwards. (2007). Nobu West, p. 252.
  5. ↑ 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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