What are higo vegetables? Features, season, and ways to eat the 15 heirloom vegetables designated by Kumamoto City (Suizenji bean sprouts, Kumamoto long carrot, Kumamoto red eggplant) explained

Kumamoto City's "Higo vegetables" are varieties handed down around the outskirts of Kumamoto City—the spring-fed areas around Lake Ezu, the foothills of Mount Aso, the Kumamoto Plain, and Kikuchi and Mashiki. In fiscal 2006 (Heisei 18) Kumamoto City designated 15 items as "Higo vegetables," and it operates a system that trademarked them in January 2008 (Heisei 20);The Japan Traditional Vegetable Promotion Associationhere too the 15 items are organized.

In addition to Kumamoto kyona, Suizenji moyashi, hitomoji, Kumamoto nagaCarrot, Kumamoto akanasu, Suizenji seri, and Kumamoto kurokawa kabocha, we introduce items handed down in Kumamoto City such as Kasuga bobura, Kumamoto negi, zuiki, and lotus root (native).

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
Kumamoto City "Higo vegetables"	Items with characteristics unique to Kumamoto, cultivated in the Kumamoto climate since ancient times and designated by Kumamoto City. The growing regions also include Mifune, Ashikita, and Minamiaso outside the city.

In this article, we list 14 of the 15 Kumamoto City "Higo vegetables" that qualify as vegetables, sorted into "leafy vegetables," "root and tuber vegetables," and "fruit vegetables and others," and explain 7 representative items in detail in the main section. Suizenji-nori, a freshwater alga (one of the 15 Higo vegetables), is handled separately at the end under "other local specialty varieties" because of its classification characteristics.

Classification list of the 14 Higo vegetables (Suizenji-nori is introduced at the end)

Leafy greens

Item	Features	Growing region	Season
Kumamoto kyona	Round-leaf oval type, tender	Jozan Kamishiro, Kumamoto City	Early October to late March
Suizenji moyashi	Grows to 35–40 cm in the spring water of Lake Ezu	Izumi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City	End of December
Suizenji-na	Asteraceae perennial with green leaf tops and purple undersides; the same species as Kanazawa's "kintoki-so"	Mifune, Ashikita, Minamiaso, and others	Open field May–October; greenhouse year-round (association)
Suizenji seri	The foremost of the seven spring herbs; grown in spring water	Ezu, Kumamoto City	December to February
Hitomoji	A type of wakegi (bunching onion); propagated by division	Throughout Kumamoto City	March and November
Kumamoto ingen	Flat pods 25 cm long; few strings and tender	Ikegami, Nishi Ward, Kumamoto City	Spring mid-May to June; autumn early October

Root and tuber vegetables

Item	Features	Growing region	Season
Kumamoto naga ninjin	Oriental type; up to about 1.2 m	Jozan, Nishi Ward, Kumamoto City	Mid-December to early March
Imo no me	Light-blocked sprouts of red-budded Miyako-imo; pink in color	Akita, Kumamoto City; Kikuyo, Kikuchi District	December to January
Zuiki	Leaf stalks of hasu-imo (lotus taro); a stem vegetable with a crisp texture	Kengun, Miyuki, Akita	August to September
Lotus root (native)	Long, slender internodes	Okishin, former Tenmei, Jonan, and Nakashima, Kumamoto City	Mid-June to the end of March the following year

Fruit vegetables and others

Item	Features	Growing region	Season
Kumamoto akanasu	Around 30 cm; red-purple skin; melts when cooked	Kumamoto City, Mashiki, Mifune	February–June; September–November
Kasuga bobura	Japanese squash; over 30 cm; loofah-shaped	Kasuga and Nakashima, Kumamoto City	August–November
Kumamoto negi	Kujo type; tillering leaf onion	Miyukikibe-machi, Minami Ward, Kumamoto City, and others	December to March
Kumamoto kurokawa kabocha	Japanese squash; fine-textured and sticky	Tomiai-machi, Kumamoto City	Late May to early November

Characteristics and how to eat the 7 representative Higo vegetables

Suizenji moyashi — 35–40 cm large bean sprouts grown in the spring water of Lake Ezu

Season	End of December
Growing region	Izumi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City
Well-suited dishes	Zoni, hot pot, stir-fries, dressed salads

Suizenji moyashi is a native bean sprout grown in Izumi, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City, distinguished by a traditional cultivation method that grows soybeans to 35–40 cm using the spring water of Lake Ezu. With its long, slender, crisp texture, it has been used as an ingredient in Kumamoto's New Year zoni.

A precious item shipped only during a limited period at year-end, it is sold at direct-sales outlets within Kumamoto City at the end of December.

Kumamoto naga ninjin — an Oriental long-root carrot up to 1.2 m

Season	Mid-December to early March
Growing region	Jozan district, Nishi Ward, Kumamoto City
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, osechi, kinpira, salads

Kumamoto naga ninjin is an Oriental long-root carrot grown in the Jozan district of Nishi Ward, Kumamoto City. It has a long, slender, burdock-like shape, with some individuals reaching 1.2 m. Its distinctive Oriental crimson color and sweetness make it a favorite for adding red-and-white color to simmered dishes and osechi.

It is shipped at JA direct-sales outlets within Kumamoto City during its season from mid-December to early March.

Kumamoto akanasu — a 30 cm red-purple eggplant that melts when cooked

Season	February–June; September–November
Growing region	Kumamoto City, Mashiki, Mifune
Well-suited dishes	Dengaku, grilled eggplant, agebitashi, simmered dishes

Kumamoto akanasu is a large eggplant grown in Kumamoto City, Mashiki, and Mifune, distinguished by red-purple skin about 30 cm long and a melt-in-your-mouth texture when cooked. It suits dishes that make use of its large size, such as dengaku, grilled eggplant, and agebitashi.

Its two seasons are February–June and September–November, and it is sold at JA direct-sales outlets within Kumamoto City.

Hitomoji — a type of wakegi divided from the base

Season	March and November
Growing region	Throughout Kumamoto City
Well-suited dishes	Hitomoji guruguru (dressed with vinegar miso), condiment, soups

Hitomoji is a type of wakegi grown within Kumamoto City, distinguished by its small size and stalks that divide from the base. It is used as the ingredient for Kumamoto's local dish "hitomoji guruguru" (a dish where boiled hitomoji is rolled up from the base and eaten with vinegar miso).

It is shipped at direct-sales outlets within Kumamoto City in March and November.

Kumamoto kyona — a tender round-leaf leafy vegetable

Season	Early October to late March
Growing region	Around Jozan Kamishiro, Kumamoto City
Well-suited dishes	Ohitashi, dressed salads, miso soup, stir-fries

Kumamoto kyona is a round-leaf, oval-shaped leafy vegetable grown around Jozan Kamishiro, Kumamoto City, with a tender leaf quality. It is distributed as a winter-to-early-spring leafy vegetable in Kumamoto.

It is versatile in ohitashi, dressed salads, miso soup, and stir-fries, and has a long shipping period from early October to late March.

Suizenji seri — a spring herb grown in the spring water of Lake Ezu

Season	December to February
Growing region	Ezu district, Kumamoto City
Well-suited dishes	Nanakusa-gayu, seri hot pot, ohitashi, dressed salads

Suizenji seri is a native seri (water dropwort) grown in the Ezu district of Kumamoto City using the spring water of Lake Ezu, regarded as the foremost of the seven spring herbs. Growing in clear spring water yields tender, richly fragrant leaves.

Its fragrance stands out in nanakusa-gayu, seri hot pot, and ohitashi, and it is sold at JA direct-sales outlets within Kumamoto City during its season from December to February.

Kumamoto kurokawa kabocha — a fine-textured, sticky Japanese squash

Season	Late May to early November
Growing region	Tomiai-machi, Kumamoto City
Well-suited dishes	Simmered dishes, soups, tempura, fukumeni

Kumamoto kurokawa kabocha is a Japanese squash grown in Tomiai-machi, Kumamoto City. Compared with Western squash it is more restrained in sweetness, with a fine-textured flesh and a sticky texture as its distinctive traits. It suits simmered dishes, soups, tempura, and fukumeni.

It is distributed over a long season from late May to early November at JA direct-sales outlets within Kumamoto City.

How to buy Higo vegetables

Item	Main sources	Timing
Suizenji moyashi	Direct-sales outlets and year-end department store sections within Kumamoto City	End of December
Kumamoto naga ninjin	JA direct-sales outlets within Kumamoto City	Mid-December to early March
Kumamoto akanasu	JA direct-sales outlets in Kumamoto City, Mashiki, and Mifune	February–June; September–November
Hitomoji	Direct-sales outlets within Kumamoto City	March and November
Kumamoto kyona	Direct-sales outlets around Jozan, Kumamoto City	October to late March
Suizenji seri	Direct-sales outlets in the Ezu district, Kumamoto City	December to February
Kumamoto kurokawa kabocha	JA direct-sales outlets in Tomiai-machi, Kumamoto City	Late May to early November

FAQ

Other regional specialty varieties

Item	Category	Growing region	Features
Suizenji-nori	Freshwater cyanobacterium (blue-green alga)	Mashiki and Kashima	A rare freshwater cyanobacterium endemic to Japan. Its historical place of occurrence is Upper Lake Ezu; today it is cultivated and conserved in Mashiki and Kashima. Dried and used in confectionery (gyuhi) and as food.

Summary

Kumamoto's "Higo vegetables" are the 15 items of a system in which Kumamoto City designated 15 items in fiscal 2006 (Heisei 18) and trademarked them on January 25, 2008 (Heisei 20). They include items making use of the spring water of Lake Ezu—Suizenji moyashi, Suizenji seri, and Suizenji-na—as well as a diverse range: Kumamoto naga ninjin, Kumamoto akanasu, Kumamoto kurokawa kabocha, Kasuga bobura, Kumamoto negi, hitomoji, Kumamoto kyona, Kumamoto ingen, imo no me, zuiki, and lotus root (native). Suizenji-nori was introduced separately as a freshwater alga.

References / information sources

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

Related articles

• Heirloom vegetables of Japan
• Heirloom vegetables of Nagasaki
• Heirloom vegetables of Fukuoka
• Heirloom vegetables of Saga