What are Shimane’s heirloom vegetables? Features, season, and ways to eat the 9 items listed by the association (including Tsuda turnip and Kuroda seri) explained

Shimane Prefecture's heirloom vegetables are varieties handed down centered on the brackish lakeshores of Lake Shinji and Nakaumi, the Izumo plain, and the Chugoku Mountains. In Shimane Prefecture's official materials, those clearly positioned as native varieties are mainly "Tsuda kabu" and "Kuroda seri," while many of the others include regional brands and locally bred varieties developed in later years.The Japan Traditional Vegetable Promotion Associationorganizes 9 items as regional items of Shimane, and this article explains those 9 items including their origins and positioning.

We introduce Shimane's native varieties and regional items spanning Matsue, Izumo, and Iwami, including the reddish-purple, magatama-shaped Tsuda kabu; Izumo orochi daikon with a bite that shoots up the nose; Matsue's Aika gobo; Shussai shoga of Hikawa-cho, Izumo City; Kuroda seri of Kuroda-cho, Matsue City; Ochi nabe-negi of Onan-cho, Ochi District; Kuen-imo of Ono-cho, Matsue City; and Hamabofu of Yatsuka-cho, Matsue City (Izumo orochi daikon in 2011 and Ochi nabe-negi in 2008 are relatively new regional varieties bred within Shimane Prefecture).

The definition of "heirloom vegetable" and the scope of this article

There is no nationwide unified definition of “heirloom vegetables,” and criteria differ by certifying body. We lay out the criteria of the main certifying bodies.

Certifying body	Main criteria
Kyoto Prefecture "Kyoto Heirloom Vegetables"	Has a cultivation history from before Meiji and covers the whole prefecture (includes bamboo shoots, excludes mushrooms and ferns, and includes extinct items)
Osaka Prefecture "Naniwa Heirloom Vegetables"	Cultivated within Osaka Prefecture from roughly 100 or more years ago
Nara Prefecture "Yamato Heirloom Vegetables"	Production in this prefecture confirmed from before the war; distinctive cultivation method, flavor and aroma, form, and provenance characteristics
Nagano Prefecture "Shinshu Heirloom Vegetable Certification System"	Provenance, food culture, variety traits (provenance from before the 1955-1965 period)
Shimane Prefecture	No heirloom-vegetable certification system of the prefecture's own. JA Shimane and each municipality support regional branding

Of the 9 Shimane items organized by the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association, this article covers 8 vegetable items in the main text. "Unshu ninjin," a medicinal-ginseng (Korean ginseng) type with a use different from food, is introduced separately in the "Other regional specialty varieties" section at the end of the article.

What are Shimane's heirloom vegetables? The food culture of Lake Shinji, Izumo, and Iwami

Area	Representative items	Regional characteristics
Matsue (eastern Izumo)	Tsuda kabu, Aika gobo, Kuroda seri, Kuen-imo, Hamabofu	The brackish lakeshores of Lake Shinji and Nakaumi, and the Matsue castle town
Izumo (Izumo plain)	Izumo orochi daikon, Shussai shoga	The Izumo plain and the Hii River basin
Iwami (Ochi)	Ochi nabe-negi	The mountainous area of the Chugoku Mountains

Divided into the three regions of Matsue, Izumo, and Iwami, native varieties concentrate around Lake Shinji and the Matsue castle town. It is an item composition reflecting history and terrain: the Tsuda district, which has continued since the Edo period as the Matsue domain's kitchen garden; the condiment-type items of the Izumo plain; and the winter leek of the Chugoku Mountains' mountainous area.

Quick-reference table of 8 items

#	Item	Category	Main growing region	Season
1	Tsuda kabu	Kabu (magatama-shaped, reddish-purple)	Higashi-Tsuda-machi and the Tsuda district, Matsue City, and elsewhere	Harvest mid-November, "hade-boshi" late November to December
2	Izumo orochi daikon	Daikon (pungent)	Izumo City	Late November to early March
3	Aika gobo	Burdock	Aika and Ono, Matsue City	November–May
4	Shussai shoga	Ginger	Shussai, Hikawa-cho, Izumo City	Throughout the prefecture
5	Kuroda seri	Sannai seri	Kuroda-cho, Matsue City	November–March
6	Ochi nabe-negi	Negi	Onan-cho, Ochi District	December to January
7	Kuen-imo	Taro	Ono-cho, Matsue City	Autumn to winter
8	Hamabofu	Bofu (Apiaceae)	Yatsuka-cho, Matsue City	April–May (flower buds late May to early June)

The characteristics and preparation of 7 representative Shimane heirloom vegetables

Of the 8 items, we take up 7 representative ones by recognition and distribution volume (Hamabofu, whose shipping period is limited to the short span of spring to early summer, is omitted from this section and introduced in the list table).

Tsuda kabu — the magatama-shaped reddish-purple kabu and "hade-boshi" culture

Season	Harvest mid-November, "hade-boshi" late November to mid- and late December
Growing region	Higashi-Tsuda-machi and the Tsuda district, Matsue City, and elsewhere
Well-suited dishes	Tsuda kabu pickles (nuka and salt pickling is the full pickle), asazuke, simmered dishes

Tsuda kabu is a native kabu characterized by a shape like the "magatama," one of the three sacred treasures of Izumo mythology, reddish-purple on the upper part and white on the lower—a two-tone. It is said that in the late Edo period, at Tsuda village (the present Tsuda district of Matsue City), which was the Matsue domain's kitchen garden, the dedicated farmer Tachihara Monbei carried out variety improvement, and via "Monbei kabu" the name settled into today's "Tsuda kabu." The original lineage is said to be the Hino-na kabu brought in from Omi (present-day Shiga Prefecture) during sankin-kotai.

Harvest begins in mid-November, and from late November to mid- and late December it undergoes "hade-boshi," hung to dry for about a week on rice-drying racks called "hade," then "Tsuda kabu pickles," fully pickled with nuka and salt, become a winter preserved food of Matsue. Some also circulate as asazuke. It is a representative Shimane traditional food listed even in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' "Nippon Traditional Food Encyclopedia."

Izumo orochi daikon — a pungent daikon with a bite that shoots up the nose

Season	Late November to early March
Growing region	Izumo City
Well-suited dishes	Oroshi, condiment for Izumo soba, asazuke

Izumo orochi daikon is a pungent daikon that Shimane University bred from Shimane-grown hama-daikon (beach daikon), registered as a variety in 2011. Named after the Yamata-no-Orochi legend, it has a strong bite that shoots up the nose as its hallmark. Used as a condiment for Izumo soba, the way of adding the grated-and-squeezed juice to the soba dipping sauce has taken hold.

In season late November to early March, it is distributed at JA farm stands and roadside stations within Izumo City.

Aika gobo — Matsue's aromatic burdock

Season	November–May
Growing region	Aika district and Ono district, Matsue City
Well-suited dishes	Kinpira, simmered dishes, tempura, soups

Aika gobo is a burdock grown in the Aika and Ono districts of Matsue City, with rich aroma and a tender texture as its hallmarks. Grown in the hard clay soil of Lake Shinji's northern shore, it is distributed as a local brand item. Its season is long, from November through the following May.

Its aroma comes to the fore in kinpira, simmered dishes, and tempura, and even in soups you can enjoy the tenderness of its flesh. It is distributed at JA farm stands within Matsue City.

Shussai shoga — the refreshing new ginger of the Izumo plain

Season	Throughout the prefecture
Growing region	Shussai, Hikawa-cho, Izumo City
Well-suited dishes	Sweet-vinegar pickling, condiment, tsukudani, sushi gari

Shussai shoga is a ginger grown in the Shussai district of Hikawa-cho, Izumo City, characterized by little fiber and a combination of a refreshing aroma and a sharp bite. Grown in the sandy loam of the lower Hii River basin under a mild climate, it is distributed as a local brand.

As sweet-vinegar pickles and sushi gari, its string-less smooth mouthfeel comes to the fore. It also suits tsukudani and use as a condiment, and it ships from JA farm stands and processors within Izumo City.

Kuroda seri — the aromatic seri of Kuroda-cho, Matsue

Season	November–March
Growing region	Kuroda-cho, Matsue City
Well-suited dishes	Seri nabe, ohitashi, ae-mono, zoni

Kuroda seri is a native seri grown in Kuroda-cho, Matsue City, with a crisp texture and superb aroma as its hallmarks. It is used as an ingredient in winter to early-spring hot pots and in Matsue's zoni. Grown by making use of repurposed paddy land and spring water, it ships over the long span from November to March.

In seri nabe the root, too, keeps a crisp texture, and in ohitashi and ae-mono its aroma comes to the fore. It ships from JA farm stands within Matsue City in winter.

Ochi nabe-negi — the winter white leek of Onan-cho

Season	December to January
Growing region	Onan-cho, Ochi District
Well-suited dishes	Hot pot, sukiyaki, grilled negi, soups

Ochi nabe-negi is a white leek born in 2008 in Onan-cho, Ochi District, with sweetness and tenderness as its hallmarks. It is a regional item grown under the cool climate of the mountainous Onan-cho in the Chugoku Mountains.

As the name suggests, it is a hot-pot white leek, and heating spreads a melting sweetness. In its season of December–January, it is distributed at JA farm stands within Onan-cho.

Kuen-imo — the cold-hardy taro of Matsue

Season	Autumn to winter
Growing region	Ono-cho, Matsue City
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, imo-ni, koromo-katsugi, dengaku

Kuen-imo is a native taro grown in Ono-cho, Matsue City, characterized by strong cold-hardiness and little harshness. Matsue's farmers have long protected it by saving their own seed, and it has been used as a winter preserved ingredient.

Its texture comes into its own in simmered dishes and imo-ni, and its own flavor can be enjoyed in dengaku and koromo-katsugi too. It is a rare item sometimes carried at farm stands in Ono-cho, Matsue City.

How to buy Shimane's heirloom vegetables and tips for storing them

Item	Main sources	Timing
Tsuda kabu	JA farm stands within Matsue City; processed goods (Tsuda kabu pickles) year-round	November–December
Izumo orochi daikon	JA farm stands and roadside stations within Izumo City	Late November to early March
Aika gobo	JA farm stands in Matsue City	November–May
Shussai shoga	JA farm stands and processors in Hikawa-cho, Izumo City	Throughout the prefecture
Kuroda seri	JA farm stands within Matsue City	November–March
Ochi nabe-negi	JA farm stands in Onan-cho, western Shimane Prefecture	December to January
Kuen-imo	Farm stands in Ono-cho, Matsue City	Autumn to winter
Hamabofu	Growers around Yatsuka-cho, Matsue City; JA direct-sales markets; roadside stations	April–May (flower buds late May to early June)

Mail order / hometown tax to outside the prefecture

• Tsuda kabu pickles — Distributed year-round through Matsue City hometown-tax donations and processor mail order
• Izumo orochi daikon — Shipped in winter as an Izumo City hometown-tax donation gift
• Shussai shoga — Summer-autumn-only through Hikawa-cho, Izumo City hometown-tax donations and processed-goods mail order
• Processed products — Tsuda kabu pickles, Shussai shoga tsukudani, Hamabofu processed goods, and the like are distributed

Efforts to protect Shimane's heirloom vegetables

Efforts	Details
Traditional-food certification of Tsuda kabu pickles	Listed in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' "Nippon Traditional Food Encyclopedia"
JA Shimane Kunibiki's Tsuda kabu brand	Distributes the Tsuda kabu of Higashi-Tsuda-machi and the Tsuda district of Matsue City as a regional brand
The medicinal brand of Unshu ninjin	Distributes the native medicinal ginseng of the Irie district, Yatsuka-cho, Matsue City, nationwide
Support for the succession of regional ingredients	Each region's JA and local governments support the production and sale of native varieties

FAQ

Other regional specialty varieties

It is included in the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association's list, but we introduce separately the medicinal-ginseng-type item, which is not a food vegetable.

Item	Category	Growing region	Features
Unshu ninjin	Medicinal ginseng (Araliaceae Korean ginseng type)	Irie district, Yatsuka-cho, Matsue City	A medicinal ginseng that takes about 6 years to grow. With a high saponin content, its use differs from that of food vegetables

Summary

Shimane's regional items number 9 in total: 8 vegetable items (Tsuda kabu, Izumo orochi daikon, Aika gobo, Shussai shoga, Kuroda seri, Ochi nabe-negi, Kuen-imo, Hamabofu) plus the medicinal-ginseng-type Unshu ninjin. Shimane Prefecture's official stance positions "Tsuda kabu" and "Kuroda seri" centrally as native varieties, with the rest including regional brands and locally bred varieties developed in later years. It is an item composition where history and terrain overlap: the Tsuda district that developed as the Matsue domain's kitchen garden, the pungent daikon nurtured in the land of Izumo mythology, and the winter leek carried on in the Chugoku Mountains.

Shimane-grown native varieties circulate by season: Shussai shoga in summer-autumn; Tsuda kabu, Izumo orochi daikon, Aika gobo, and Kuroda seri in autumn-winter; Kuen-imo and Ochi nabe-negi in winter; and Hamabofu in spring. Making use of hometown-tax donations, farm stands, and processed-goods mail order lets you taste the food culture of Matsue, Izumo, and Iwami at home.

References / information sources

• Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association "Shimane Prefecture"
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Nippon Traditional Food Encyclopedia: Tsuda kabu pickles"
• JA Shimane Kunibiki "Tsuda kabu"
• National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Genebank "Native Variety Database"

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