Mizuna

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Japanese Mustard Spinach Spider Mustard

Mizuna, though often called "Mizuna Lettuce", is not actually a lettuce: it's a member of the cabbage family. It grows about 10 inches wide (25 cm) and up to 18 inches tall (45 cm.) Its long stalks have crisp, frilly leaves with serrated, saw tooth edges. The plant is very cold hardy.

From seed, Mizuna is ready to start harvesting in 21 to 40 days, depending upon the variety and where you are. It is a "cut and come again" plant: you can make several cuttings and the plant will keep growing.

Varieties include Early Mizuna, Kyona Mizuna and Tokyo Belle.

The flavour is mildly peppery with a hint of mustard tang. Some find the taste bitter.

Cooking Tips for Mizuna

Younger, shorter Mizuna leaves are more tender and so more ideal for salad than the older leaves. In salads, it is generally used mixed with other greens. In cooking, leaves can be added to soups at the end. In Japanese cooking, Mizuna is sometimes pickled.

Substitutes for Mizuna

Arugula; mustard greens young enough to be used as salad
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Also called:
Brassica japonica, Brassica sp. Mizuna (Scientific Name); Mizuna (Japanese)
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