Mizuna

Brassica rapa var. nipposinica · Leafy green

1 variety40 pairings

Mizuna (Brassica rapa var. nipposinica) is a Japanese mustard green known for its deeply serrated, feathery, glossy dark-green leaves carried on slender, crisp white stalks. It eats with a clean, fresh, peppery-mustard bite that is far gentler than arugula or the hotter Asian mustards — bright and lively rather than fiery — which is why it has become a staple of mixed salad-leaf blends as well as a quick-wilting green for Japanese hotpots, soups and pickles.

Picking a good onedrag

Frilled, glossy, standing upYellow, limp, slimy stalks

Shop freshThe all-rounder: raw in salad, last-second into a hotpot, quick stir-fry.Everyday best

BladeGreen and matte, frills relaxed

White stalksWhite and stiff, the snap only damp

The liftStands, then folds over slowly

SmellGreen and clean, mustard faint

What to look for, from frilled, glossy, standing up to yellow, limp, slimy stalks.

Keeping ittap a band

A domestic fridge holds it about 6× longer than the counter.

Humidity

95-100%

Near-saturated: a lidded box or a damp cloth. These fine feathery blades limp in dry fridge air within hours.

Airflow

Vented, never sealed

A vented bag, never sealed: it respires harder than lettuce, and shut tight it goes stale then slimy at the stalks.

Ethylene yellows the frills

It makes almost none itself but is highly sensitive: ethylene off apples, pears and bananas yellows the blades.

Preparing