Yomogi

Yomogi is a Japanese herb that grows in the wild almost everywhere in Japan. A member of chrysanthemum family, it has jagged-edge leaves with a white fuzzy underside on them. It spreads via underground runners (“stolons”). Yomogi can also be grown from seed.

It grows up to 4 feet (1.2 metres) tall, and blooms with small, tan-coloured flowers from July through to November.

It’s lightly parboiled first for 1 to 2 minutes before use to remove some of the harshness from its taste. Sometimes a touch of baking soda is added to the water.

Yomogi is used in rice cakes such as kusamochi and hishimochi, and for tempura.

Substitutes

For 30g fresh yomogi leaves substitute 10g dried leaves

History Notes

Native to Japan.

Language Notes

In Korean, Yomogi is called “ssuk” or “tarae ssuk.”

Sources

“Artemisia princeps”. Plants For A Future Database. Retrieved January 2010 from http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Artemisia+princeps

Takahashi, Masumi, Natsuko Hosokawa, and Keiko Mori. “Yomogi (Mugwort)”. In: Japan Through Young Eyes series, created by Kanda University of International Studies and Bunkyo Women’s College. http://www.shejapan.com/jtyeholder/jtye/living/wagashi/wagashi3.html . Retrieved January 2010.