Tarame buds
We visited Mr. and Mrs. Harada of Harada Forest in Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, who supplies us with natural taros.
Since last year, I had been introduced to him by Watanabe Akito, who is well-known for his log-grown shiitake mushrooms and sweet potatoes, but this was the first time I met him.We walked through the mountains that Harada manages and he showed us the taros and log-grown shiitake mushrooms.
Mr. and Mrs. Harada are originally from Nara and Osaka prefectures, and moved to Hita, Oita prefecture 20 years ago, where they worked in forestry. They moved to Kikuchi 15 years ago and became independent six years ago.
Currently, they manage a 5 chobu (approximately 50,000 m2) forest site near the Kikuchi Valley, which has been selected as one of the "100 Famous Waters of Japan."
Their belief is to live in harmony with the forest, and they continue to enjoy the benefits that the forest offers without putting a strain on nature.
Harada lives with the forest, looking to the next generation and the future, 20 or 100 years from now.
After trees are felled and sorted, the remaining wood is all used for growing shiitake mushrooms on logs or as firewood.
A wide variety of trees are planted to respond to the environment 20 or 100 years from now.
They also use this wood to experimentally grow shiitake mushrooms, wood wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and Tamogitake mushrooms, commonly known as dashi mushrooms, which are rarely grown in Kyushu, by separating the types of tree and the types of mushroom.
After trees are felled and sorted, the remaining wood is all used for growing shiitake mushrooms on logs or as firewood.
A wide variety of trees are planted to respond to the environment 20 or 100 years from now.
They also use this wood to experimentally grow shiitake mushrooms, wood wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and Tamogitake mushrooms, commonly known as dashi mushrooms, which are rarely grown in Kyushu, by separating the types of tree and the types of mushroom.
Harada's taros are not cultivated hydroponically or otherwise artificially, but are natural taros harvested from the mountain forest adjacent to the national forest in Kikuchi Valley.
Natural taros, exposed to plenty of sunlight, grow slowly and thickly in nature.
When harvesting, workers wear leather welding gloves because the trees have thorns, and they harvest by cutting off the taranoki trees that have grown taller than they are tall with a saw.
I had the opportunity to join them on this tour, and learned that harvesting work in the forests is dangerous, physically demanding, and hard work.
We are grateful for the blessings of the mountains that the Haradas have carefully nurtured, and we will deliver them to our customers.
Listening to Mr. Harada's talk, I was given the opportunity to think again about what we should do and what we should leave behind, not just for the present, but for the future 20, 30, 100, or even 300 years from now.
Now that I have children, I would like to share the voices of organic farming producers with everyone, while seeking a lifestyle that protects the global environment and is in harmony with nature for my children's future.
Near Harada's property is the Kikuchi Valley, which is the source of the Kikuchi River.
It flows through Kikuchi City and Tamana City and into the Ariake Sea.
There are many natural farming producers in Kikuchi City, including Mr. Tomita.
Mr. Taniguchi lives in Tamana City, very close to the Kikuchi River.
At the upper reaches of the Kikuchi River, there is Mr. Harada, who works in forestry to protect the environment and pass it on to the future, which made me realize that everything is connected.
"Tara no me" is one of the wild vegetables that heralds the arrival of spring.
It is popular for its slight bitterness and chewy texture, and due to its rarity it is also known as the king of wild vegetables.
Tarame refers to the new shoots of the Araliaceae family, and these shoots are edible as wild vegetables.
It grows wild in mountains and fields all over the country, and harvesting begins as early as early April, making it a "spring produce." Nowadays, due to demand from restaurants and other establishments, greenhouse cultivation has increased, but the deliciousness of the natural product is still exceptional.
Please try the limited-time king of wild vegetables, "Tara no Me"!
〇How to eat〇
When you think of cod sprouts, the first thing that comes to mind is tempura.
Adding rice flour to the batter will make the outside crispy and the inside chewy.
You could also use it as a topping for pasta or mixed rice.
The subtle bitterness is brought out by simple seasonings, so use an oil-based pasta dish.
Add some shredded dried horse mackerel or barracuda to the rice to create a spring-like mixed rice dish!
〇 Preparation 〇
1) Peel the hakama part of the taros by hand (to improve the texture).
*If the cut end opposite the tip of the taros is dry or slightly discolored, cut it off.
2) The brown part that looks like a tree trunk is hard, so peel it off with a knife.
3) To ensure even cooking, make shallow straight or cross cuts on the cut surface and your preparation is complete.
Tarame buds
We visited Mr. and Mrs. Harada of Harada Forest in Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, who supplies us with natural taros.
Since last year, I had been introduced to him by Watanabe Akito, who is well-known for his log-grown shiitake mushrooms and sweet potatoes, but this was the first time I met him.We walked through the mountains that Harada manages and he showed us the taros and log-grown shiitake mushrooms.
Mr. and Mrs. Harada are originally from Nara and Osaka prefectures, and moved to Hita, Oita prefecture 20 years ago, where they worked in forestry. They moved to Kikuchi 15 years ago and became independent six years ago.
Currently, they manage a 5 chobu (approximately 50,000 m2) forest site near the Kikuchi Valley, which has been selected as one of the "100 Famous Waters of Japan."
Their belief is to live in harmony with the forest, and they continue to enjoy the benefits that the forest offers without putting a strain on nature.
Harada lives with the forest, looking to the next generation and the future, 20 or 100 years from now.
A wide variety of trees are planted to respond to the environment 20 or 100 years from now.
They also use this wood to experimentally grow shiitake mushrooms, wood wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and Tamogitake mushrooms, commonly known as dashi mushrooms, which are rarely grown in Kyushu, by separating the types of tree and the types of mushroom.
After trees are felled and sorted, the remaining wood is all used for growing shiitake mushrooms on logs or as firewood.
A wide variety of trees are planted to respond to the environment 20 or 100 years from now.
They also use this wood to experimentally grow shiitake mushrooms, wood wood ear mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and Tamogitake mushrooms, commonly known as dashi mushrooms, which are rarely grown in Kyushu, by separating the types of tree and the types of mushroom.
Harada's taros are not cultivated hydroponically or otherwise artificially, but are natural taros harvested from the mountain forest adjacent to the national forest in Kikuchi Valley.
Natural taros, exposed to plenty of sunlight, grow slowly and thickly in nature.
When harvesting, workers wear leather welding gloves because the trees have thorns, and they harvest by cutting off the taranoki trees that have grown taller than they are tall with a saw.
I had the opportunity to join them on this tour, and learned that harvesting work in the forests is dangerous, physically demanding, and hard work.
We are grateful for the blessings of the mountains that the Haradas have carefully nurtured, and we will deliver them to our customers.
Now that I have children, I would like to share the voices of organic farming producers with everyone, while seeking a lifestyle that protects the global environment and is in harmony with nature for my children's future.
Near Harada's property is the Kikuchi Valley, which is the source of the Kikuchi River.
It flows through Kikuchi City and Tamana City and into the Ariake Sea.
There are many natural farming producers in Kikuchi City, including Mr. Tomita.
Mr. Taniguchi lives in Tamana City, very close to the Kikuchi River.
At the upper reaches of the Kikuchi River, there is Mr. Harada, who works in forestry to protect the environment and pass it on to the future, which made me realize that everything is connected.
It is popular for its slight bitterness and chewy texture, and due to its rarity it is also known as the king of wild vegetables.
Tarame refers to the new shoots of the Araliaceae family, and these shoots are edible as wild vegetables.
It grows wild in mountains and fields all over the country, and harvesting begins as early as early April, making it a "spring produce." Nowadays, due to demand from restaurants and other establishments, greenhouse cultivation has increased, but the deliciousness of the natural product is still exceptional.
Please try the limited-time king of wild vegetables, "Tara no Me"!
〇How to eat〇
When you think of cod sprouts, the first thing that comes to mind is tempura.
Adding rice flour to the batter will make the outside crispy and the inside chewy.
You could also use it as a topping for pasta or mixed rice.
The subtle bitterness is brought out by simple seasonings, so use an oil-based pasta dish.
Add some shredded dried horse mackerel or barracuda to the rice to create a spring-like mixed rice dish!
〇 Preparation 〇
1) Peel the hakama part of the taros by hand (to improve the texture).
*If the cut end opposite the tip of the taros is dry or slightly discolored, cut it off.
2) The brown part that looks like a tree trunk is hard, so peel it off with a knife.
3) To ensure even cooking, make shallow straight or cross cuts on the cut surface and your preparation is complete.