Komatsuna

Brassica rapa

Origin: Komatsugawa, Edogawa, Japan

Improvement status: Cultivar

Seeds per packet: ~170

Germination tested 08/2024: 98%

Life cycle: Annual or Biennial

Komatsuna is an extremely fast-growing leafy green originally from Japan. Botanically, it's classified as Brassica rapa — the same as turnips, bok choy, mustard greens, mizuna, napa cabbage, and broccoli raab. It can best be compared with bok-choy or tat-soi, but it has a thinner rib and broader leaf. Komatsuna does best in spring and fall as it tends to bolt in high heat, but it can be eaten at all stages, including flowering (as a small broccoli).

The origin of this popular Asian green is well-described on Wikipedia: "The name komatsuna means 'greens of Komatsu' in Japanese, a reference to the village of Komatsugawa [ja] in Edogawa, Tokyo, where it was heavily grown during the Edo period [1603-1868]. It was named by Tokugawa Yoshimune, the eighth 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 (which gives the village its name). To 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." The once-quaint village of Komatsugawa is now in the thick of the Tokyo metropolis.

Our seed comes to us from our dear friend Dr. Kris Hubbard, of Wild Wood Farm in Artemus, Kentucky, a master farmer, storyteller, anthropologist, herbalist, and Indigenous seedkeeper.

GROWING TIPS: Direct sow in spring or late summer for best results. Thin plants to 6-10 inch spacing. Enjoy!