Wild Vegetables Day (Sansai no Hi)

What Is Wild Vegetables Day?

Every year on March 31, Japan celebrates "Wild Vegetables Day" (Sansai no Hi). The date comes from a wordplay on "san (3) sa (3) i (1)" — sounding like "sansai" (wild vegetables) — and was established in 2012 by Dewaya, a wild-vegetable cuisine inn in Nishikawa Town, Nishimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture, also reflecting how eagerly people in snowy Yamagata await spring sansai at this time of year. Dewaya traces its history to lodging mountain ascetics visiting the Dewa Sanzan mountains. Wild mountain vegetables that sprout as the snow melts have long signaled the arrival of spring in Japan. The day is a time to give thanks for nature's bounty after a harsh winter, enjoy the unique flavors and nutrition of sansai, and learn how to prepare and preserve them.

Enjoying Sansai Safely

Wild vegetables are a beloved taste of spring, but knowing how to enjoy them safely is essential.

• Beware of look-alikes: Some wild vegetables closely resemble poisonous plants — for example, nirinso and aconite, or gyoja ninniku and autumn crocus or lily of the valley. Poisoning accidents are reported almost every year, so never pick or eat anything you cannot identify with certainty.
• Remove the bitterness first: Warabi, zenmai, and others are normally eaten only after removing their harshness (aku). Warabi contains substances that this treatment reduces, so the traditional preparation has good reason behind it.

Varieties and Preparation of Wild Vegetables

Japan's forests, covering about two-thirds of the country's land, are a treasure trove of edible wild plants.

• Common varieties: Early spring brings fukinoto (butterbur sprouts), tsukushi (field horsetail), and yomogi (mugwort), followed by taranome (angelica tree shoots), koshiabura, warabi (bracken fern), zenmai (flowering fern), and ainu negi (Siberian garlic, also known as gyoja ninniku) as the snow continues to melt — each taking its turn as the season's star.
• The wisdom of removing bitterness: Wild vegetables produce strong bitter compounds (aku) as a natural defense against predators. Traditional methods of removing this bitterness using baking soda, wood ash, or rice bran are time-honored ways to soften harshness and bitterness and make them easier to eat.

Fun Facts About Wild Vegetables

• "Put bitterness on the spring plate": This Japanese food saying encourages enjoying the slightly bitter vegetables of early spring — a bitterness long savored as a seasonal taste.
• Taranome, the "king of sansai": Prized for its flavor, taranome is often called the "king" of wild vegetables, while koshiabura, known for its elegant aroma and taste, is sometimes called the "queen" — both are tempura favorites.
• Zenmai vs. warabi: Zenmai (flowering fern) is characterized by young shoots wrapped in cotton-like fuzz, while warabi (bracken fern) has young shoots with tips curled like a fist. Both have long been dried and preserved as traditional stored foods.
• Foraging etiquette: Harvesting every single shoot can mean none grow back the following year. Leave some for next year, and never forage on private land or national forests without permission.
• The origin of "gyoja ninniku": This wild garlic is named after the mountain ascetics ("gyoja") of Shugendo who reportedly ate it. It has a strong garlic-like aroma and is also called "ainu negi" in Hokkaido.

Ideas for Enjoying Wild Vegetables Day

• Pick up fukinoto, taranome, or other spring wild vegetables at the supermarket or a farm stand, and take in the "breath of spring" through their unique aroma and vibrant green color
• For dinner on March 31, prepare tempura, simmered greens, or mixed rice with wild vegetables, and enjoy their subtle bitterness as a taste of spring
• Embrace the time-consuming process of removing bitterness from wild vegetables as part of a slower, more mindful way of living, savoring nature's bounty to the fullest
• Pay attention to news about changes in foothill environments and forest conservation, and reflect on how we can coexist with nature to keep enjoying seasonal flavors for years to come

Spring Flavors Pushing Up Through the Snow Herald a New Season

March 31 is a day to celebrate the arrival of wild vegetables that waited in the cold earth for spring. Their slight bitterness has long been loved as the taste of spring, and taking the time to prepare and enjoy their brief season is a rich way to feel the seasons change. Just like plants that bloom brilliantly after surviving harsh conditions, turn your own past experiences into nourishment, and this spring, let your own flower bloom more vividly and resiliently than ever.