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Jewels Created from Kyoto Soil
The history & culture of kyo yasai vegetables
Since Kyoto flourished as the Imperial capital and center of Japan for 1,200 years, the city became the birthplace of many different kinds of culture and tradition: everything from clothing and arts and crafts, to architecture, music, and cuisine. In particular, Kyoto’s food culture remains unique, well preserved, and popular as ever. This month, KVG interviewed people at Kanesho, a leading vegetable company, and the farmers who specialize in Kyo Yasai.
Kyo Yasai History
Since Kyoto is far from the sea and Buddhist thinking is fundamentally against eating animal proteins, vegetables have always played a central role in Kyoto cuisine. Kyoto had and still has the largest concentration of Buddhist temples and most major sects have their headquarters in the city. As a result of these factors, Kyoto developed a unique vegetable culture and even its own special vegetables. Known as Kyo Yasai (Kyoto vegetables), these vegetable varieties developed over the centuries in Kyoto and in recent years have become so popular that they are exported all over the country. Indeed, many older foreign visitors to Japan often remark on the delicious old-style taste of Japan’s fruits and vegetables compared with the big bland agriculture produce of Europe and North America. Kyo Yasai certainly qualify as the finest vegetables in Japan.
As the center of Japan early and on and for so long, Kyoto attracted people from all over the country some of whom introduced new vegetables from other areas. The climate of Kyoto and its rich soils and abundance of good water combine to create the perfect growing environment for vegetables. Kyo Yasai developed over hundreds of years as part of the daily life of local farmers and the markets and restaurants they did regular business with.
At the same time, Kyo Yasai play a key role in traditional, age-old shrine and temple rituals. For example, the Daikon-daki (boiling Kyoto white radishes) ceremony is held at Senbon Shaka-do Temple and other temples every December. This ritual, which started in the Kamakura period (1192-1333), involves cooking white radishes in a huge pot. People who ate the cooked radish pieces believed that they would be free of illness for the one year. Another interesting ritual is held at Anraku-ji Temple every July. It is called Kabocha Kuyo (pumpkin memorial service) and a specialty Kyo Yasai known as Shishigatani Kabocha (pumpkin) is offered to the temple deity and also eaten to ward off summer illnesses. Clearly the idea of eating vegetables to stay healthy was something that Kyoto’s shrine and temple priests understood and preached to the people a long time ago.
Kanesho: Kyo Yasai specialist
The biggest growing area for Kyo Yasai is in the Kamigamo area at the northwestern edge of the Kyoto valley. The area, though only 10 kilometers north of Kyoto Station, is at a higher altitude than the top of Kyoto Tower (131 meters) and, as a result, 5 degrees colder than downtown Kyoto locations. Combined with the abundance of clean water and excellent soil this area produces excellent vegetables.
Though a rare sight today, only twenty or thirty years ago furi uri women (the wives of Kamigamo farmers) pulling a big cart full of vegetables was a common sight. These farmers would cultivate at least seven kinds of vegetables on their fields to provide customers with variety year round. The produce offerings of the furi uri women was especially welcomed in the Nishijin textile district as the weavers were often women that had no time to get out and buy good vegetables.
Kanesho is one of Kyoto’s leading Kyo Yasai specialist companies. They have a respect for the tradition and history of Kyo Yasai and are devoted to the distribution and promotion of Kyo Yasai. Every morning around 11:00, Kyoto vegetable shop owners gather at the small but bustling Kamigamo vegetable market auction, near Kanesho’s head office, to bid for the best they can get. An auction master loudly proclaims the prices as the buyers compete for their share. About 80 local farmers sell their vegetables this way.
Mr. Tsuchiaki, Kanesho’s manager, proudly holds up a fat, shiny Kamo nasu eggplant. ‘For the longest time, Kyo Yasai were mostly enjoyed by local people and used as sacred offerings at temples and shrines. Most Kyo Yasai are named after the place they are grown and/or offered. Kamo nasu eggplants were offered at Kamigamo Shrine and Mibuna (a leafy vegetable) was offered at Mibu Temple. Kanesho’s mission is to promote the affection and pride these multi-generation farming families have for Kyo Yasasi and to stress their health-giving powers.’
Kyo Yasai farmers
Mr. Shimizu has worked as a farmer in Kamigamo for 60 years. He learned farming from his grandfather when he was 15 years old and has continued to use these traditional methods since then. Presently, he grows about ten kinds of vegetables on his land.
Mr. Nishimura started farming about 5 years ago when he retired. He was born in the Kamigamo area and helped his parents on the farm when he was off. ‘I have worked as a farmer for only 5 years. It is nothing compared to Mr. Shimizu. When I have a problem, which happens quite often actually, I always ask Mr. Shimizu or one of the other veteran farmers nearby. I am always impressed with their knowledge and experience. This is how tradition is passed to the next generation.’
The future of farming traditions and families is something that they worry about. ‘We learned farming by seeing and helping our parents or grandparents in the fields. It was just natural for us to see how vegetables are grown and how hard it can be. It is very important to learn about food because it is an essential source of health and life energy.’
The Next Generation
Mr. Hattori is a young Kanesho staff member who is fascinated with Kyo Yasasi. He is from Tochigi (near Tokyo) and visited Kyoto once a year since he was a university student. ‘I felt like I was traveling overseas because Kyoto’s food culture was so different from my home region’.
Three years ago, he was walking downtown looking for something unique. He had already tried famous Kyoto foods like yatsuhashi, pickles, sweets, etc. and wanted to find something new. It was then that he encountered Kyo Yasai in the Nishiki Food Market. He bought a large variety of Kyo Yasai and sent them home by courier and then cooked them as soon as he got home. The cooking method and the taste of these vegetables impressed him deeply. He still fondly recalls the taste of fried Kamo Nasu eggplant served with sweet miso paste.
His connection with Kyo Yasai didn’t end there. He found that one of his friends was from Kyoto and his grandfather was a farmer. Soon he started to visit him in Kyoto once a month all the way from Tochigi to learn vegetable farming. The grandfather was growing vegetables for his family, not for sale. ‘I learned that he enjoys eating the best vegetables of the season. I didn’t understand him at first because we can buy almost anything all year in a supermarket. This is the secret of the rich Kyo Yasai taste: to respect nature.’ Soon, he started to feel that he wanted to work with Kyo Yasai. Finally, he found Kanesho. ‘I don’t want to treat Kyo Yasai like an expensive fashion brand. I want people to know how local farmers grow them and how delicious Kyo Yasai are as a result of the famers’ hard work and Kyoto’s nature.’
Where to experience Kyo Yasai
Kanesho started a Kyo Yasai restaurant called Tawawa to give residents and visitors to Kyoto a chance to experience Kyo Yasai vegetables and dishes. Tawawa’s lunch time buffet is a great way to experience these vegetables (from 1,000 yen including all-you-can-eat style Kanesho’s fresh Kyo Yasai). Nijo shop: 7F of Ritsumeikan University Suzaku campus; Tel: 813-8310; Open: 11:00-23:00 (L.O. 22:00). Shinpuhkan shop: 3F of Shinpuhkan; Tel: 257-8058; Open: 11:00-23:00 (L.O. 22:00). Kanesho’s vegetables are also available at B2F of Isetan Department Store and Kitaoji VIVRE.
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Popular Kyo Yasai
Forty-three kinds of vegetables are certified as traditional Kyo Yasai (two kinds are already extinct).
Kamo Nasu (eggplant)
Since ancient times, the deep purple eggplant has been an auspicious symbol in Japan. Kamo nasu are nearly round and bigger than a baseball. They are also known as the ‘queen of eggplants’ for their rich deep purple color.
Mibuna (leaf vegetable)
It is said that Mibuna developed from the Mizuna leaf vegetable in the early 19th century. It is related to Mibu Temple and it is easy to find Mibuna fields near the temple. They are a little bit spicy and have lots of vitamin C and fiber. People made pickles with Mibuna and it was considered a luxury food in old times.
Shishigatani Kabocha (pumpkin)
These rough skinned pumpkins have been used in the annual Kabocha Kuyo at Anraku-ji Temple for more than 300 years. By the Meiji period (1868-1912), almost all pumpkins eaten in Kyoto were Shishigatani Kabocha. Today the main growing region is around Ayabe City (central Kyoto Prefecture).
Shogoin Daikon (white radish)
The sweet-tasting Shogoin Daikon is big and round, unlike the long, thick ones found everywhere in Japan. The first Shogoin Daikon was brought from the Owari district (present-day Aichi prefecture) about 170 years ago.
Horikawa Gobou (burdock root)
Horikawa Gobou looks like a tree root. In the late 16th century, a wild burdock root was tossed on a Kyoto rubbish heap and thrived. It did not take long for cooks to discover the soft texture of Horikawa Gobou (full of vitamin C and healthy minerals).
Ebi Imo (yam)
Ebi Imo is a kind of yam with a unique rich flavor. There is an old Japanese restaurant in Okazaki and one of the first-generation owners brought a yam seed from Nagasaki around 1775. His cultivation method was somewhat different and, as a result, a yam with a unique pattern which looks like the back of a prawn (ebi) grew.
Manganji Togarashi (capsicum)
Manganji Togarashi is a hybrid between Fushimi Togarashi (also a kind of Kyo Yasai) and a kind of big American capsicum. They are mostly grown in Maizuru (northern Kyoto Prefecture) and are known as the ‘king of capsicum’ for their size and mild spicy flavor.
Illustrations are courtesy of the Kyoto Furusato Products Association.
The Kyoto Furusato Products Association is a public association organized and managed by all the public/private entities and groups in Kyoto City and Prefecture related to agriculture, forestry and fishery activities. It promotes Kyoto food production and consumption by developing food culture awareness through planning and advertising campaigns, etc.