What are Fukuoka’s heirloom vegetables? Features, season, and ways to eat the 10 items organized by the association (katsuo-na, Miike takana, Keya turnip) explained

Fukuoka Prefecture's heirloom vegetables are varieties that have been handed down within terrains such as Fukuoka City along Hakata Bay, Kitakyushu at the Kanmon Strait, the Chikugo Plain, the Itoshima Peninsula, and the Chikugo River basin.The Japan Traditional Vegetable Promotion Associationnotes that for Fukuoka Prefecture, "no official definition or certification system for heirloom vegetables has been established," and organizes 10 items as regional varieties (some include cross-bred and introduced lines).

We introduce items handed down in Fukuoka, such as katsuona—essential to Hakata zoni—yamashiona of Kurume, Miike takana of Setaka in Miyama City, Keya kabu of Itoshima, and HakataKintoki carrot, for which Yukuhashi is the main producing area, as well as Mada uri of Asakura and Kamachi omizuimo of Yanagawa.

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

Certifying body	Main criteria
Kyoto Prefecture "Kyoto Heirloom Vegetables"	Cultivation history predating the Meiji era, covering the entire prefecture
Osaka Prefecture "Naniwa Heirloom Vegetables"	Cultivated within Osaka Prefecture from roughly 100 or more years ago
Nagano Prefecture "Shinshu Heirloom Vegetable Certification System"	Cultivation, food culture, and varietal traits from before the 1955–1964 period
Fukuoka Prefecture	The prefecture has not established its own "heirloom vegetable" certification system (per the association). JA and each municipality support regional branding.

This article introduces all 10 Fukuoka Prefecture items organized by the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association.

List of 10 Fukuoka heirloom vegetables

#	Item	Category	Main growing region	Season
1	Ooba shungiku	Leafy vegetable (round-leaf type)	Kokuraminami Ward, Kitakyushu City	October–May
2	Chuba shungiku	Leafy vegetable (medium-leaf type)	Fukuoka City	Year-round
3	Katsuona	Leafy vegetable (for zoni)	Fukuoka City	December–February (Fukuoka City official)
4	Miike takana	Leafy vegetable (takana)	Setaka Town, Miyama City	Early April
5	Yamashiona	Leafy vegetable (pungent type)	Kurume City	October to March
6	Keya kabu	Turnip (upper half red-purple)	Shima Keya, Itoshima City	November–December
7	Hakata Kintoki carrot	Carrot (Eastern type, cross-bred)	Yukuhashi City (originally bred in Hakozaki, Fukuoka City to Meinohama, Nishi Ward)	November–April
8	Mada uri	Gourd (thick-fleshed)	Mada, Asakura City	June–July
9	Honba suyo cucumber	Cucumber (white-spine type, introduced line)	Within Fukuoka Prefecture (the association's records have limited information on main producing areas)	June to October
10	Kamachi omizuimo	Water taro (aquatic)	Yanagawa City	Late July–late August

Characteristics and ways to eat seven representative Fukuoka heirloom vegetables

Katsuona — the classic leafy vegetable of Hakata zoni

Season	December–February (Fukuoka City official)
Growing region	Fukuoka City
Well-suited dishes	Hakata zoni, ohitashi, miso soup, stir-fries

Katsuona is a leafy vegetable for zoni grown in Fukuoka City, characterized by strong umami and little astringency or pungency. As an ingredient essential to Hakata zoni, it has become a staple of Fukuoka's New Year cuisine, and the wordplay on "katsuo-na" (evoking "victorious man") has long been cherished as a good-luck symbol.

In addition to Hakata zoni, it is also delicious in ohitashi, miso soup, and stir-fries. It is in season from December to February (Fukuoka City official) and is distributed at JA farmers' markets and supermarkets within Fukuoka City.

Miike takana — the pungent, tangy takana of Setaka in Miyama City

Season	Early April
Growing region	Setaka Town, Miyama City
Well-suited dishes	Takana pickles, rice balls, stir-fries, fried rice

Miike takana is a takana grown in Setaka Town, Miyama City. According to the records of the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association, it is a variety created in 1887 by order of the former Yanagawa domain lord Lord Tachibana at the Tachibana Family Agricultural Experiment Station, by crossing the Chinese-introduced "Sichuan greens" with the native "purple takana." Its characteristics are a moderate pungency and tang, and thick, crisp leaves. It is distributed nationwide as a major raw material for Kyushu-produced takana pickles and is used as the ingredient for takana fried rice and takana rice balls.

Early April is its season, and processed takana pickles are distributed year-round. They are shipped nationwide from pickle makers within Fukuoka Prefecture.

Keya kabu — Itoshima's turnip with a red-purple upper half, pickled in sweet vinegar

Season	November–December
Growing region	Shima Keya district, Itoshima City
Well-suited dishes	Sweet-vinegar pickles, salt pickles, salads, simmered dishes

Keya kabu is a conical turnip grown in the Shima Keya district of Itoshima City, characterized by a two-tone look: a vivid red-purple upper half and white flesh inside. After harvest it is sun-dried, then rubbed with seawater and pickled in sweet vinegar, at which point it develops a pink color—a processing method handed down locally.

Because of the beautiful color it develops when pickled in sweet vinegar, it is used as a pickle on the winter–New Year table. It is shipped from JA farmers' markets within Itoshima City from November to December.

Hakata Kintoki carrot — Yukuhashi's large Eastern-type carrot

Season	November–April
Growing region	Yukuhashi City
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, osechi, kinpira, salads

The Hakata Kintoki carrot is an Eastern-type carrot now grown mainly in Yukuhashi City, characterized by a large form that grows quickly to a root length of around 30 cm and a neck diameter of a little over 6 cm. According to the records of the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association, Hanjiro Kimura bred the "wartless Kintoki" by crossing the native Hakata carrot (yellow type) with the Honko Kintoki carrot in the Hakozaki district of Fukuoka City. Later, in Meinohama, Nishi Ward, Fukuoka City, Ei Akatsuka selected a superior line, establishing the present line. Because its flesh is soft and rich in sweetness, with little off-odor and a good aroma, it is suited to simmered dishes, osechi, and kinpira.

It is in season from November to April, and it is distributed mainly in western Japan as a red carrot for New Year cuisine in the Kansai, Chugoku, and Kyushu regions.

Yamashiona — the pungent leafy vegetable of Kurume

Season	October to March
Growing region	Kurume City
Well-suited dishes	Ohitashi, dressed dishes, pickles, stir-fries

Yamashiona is a leafy vegetable grown in Kurume City, characterized by a distinctive nose-tingling aroma and pungency. As a local winter–early-spring ingredient, it is used in ohitashi, dressed dishes, pickles, and stir-fries.

It is distributed at JA farmers' markets within Kurume City during its October–March season.

Kamachi omizuimo — Yanagawa City's 1.8 m-class aquatic large water taro

Season	Late July–late August
Growing region	Yanagawa City
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, vinegared dishes, dressed dishes, salads

Kamachi omizuimo is an aquatic water taro grown in Yanagawa City. According to the records of the Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association, whereas a typical water taro is about 1.2 m, the Kamachi omizuimo is a large variety that grows to about 1.8 m. The inside of its stalk is a sponge-like mass of countless holes, and its appeal is a clean, crisp texture without off-flavors.

It is shipped from farmers' markets within Yanagawa City during its late-July to late-August season.

Mada uri — Asakura Mada's thick-fleshed, crunchy gourd

Season	June–July
Growing region	Mada district, Asakura City
Well-suited dishes	Kasuzuke, Nara-zuke style, light pickles, salads

Mada uri is a native gourd grown in the Mada district of Asakura City, characterized by a thick fruit with light-green skin and thick, crunchy flesh. It is suited to kasuzuke and Nara-zuke-style pickles, and can also be used in light pickles and salads.

It is shipped from farmers' markets within Asakura City during the brief June–July season.

How to buy Fukuoka's heirloom vegetables

Item	Main sources	Timing
Katsuona	JA farmers' markets and supermarkets within Fukuoka City	December to February
Miike takana	JA farmers' markets in Setaka Town, Miyama City; pickles via nationwide mail order	Early April (processed products year-round)
Keya kabu	Farmers' markets in Shima Keya, Itoshima City; sweet-vinegar pickles year-round	November–December
Hakata Kintoki carrot	JA farmers' markets within Yukuhashi City; Kansai and Kyushu supermarkets (December)	November–April
Kamachi omizuimo	Farmers' markets within Yanagawa City	Late July–late August
Yamashiona	JA farmers' markets within Kurume City	October to March
Mada uri	Farmers' markets in Mada, Asakura City	June–July

FAQ

Summary

Fukuoka's heirloom vegetables comprise 10 items in total: the five leafy vegetables katsuona, Miike takana, yamashiona, ooba shungiku, and chuba shungiku; the two root vegetables Keya kabu and Hakata Kintoki carrot; the two fruit vegetables Mada uri and Honba suyo cucumber; and Kamachi omizuimo. Distinctive items line up by region—Hakata, Kitakyushu, Chikugo, Itoshima, Asakura, and Yanagawa.

References / information sources

• Japan Heirloom Vegetable Promotion Association, "Fukuoka Prefecture"
• National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Genebank "Native Variety Database"

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