All About Komatsuna: 3 Ways to Use Komatsuna in the Kitchen

*Komatsuna*, or Japanese mustard spinach (*Brassica rapa var. perviridis*), is a leafy green in the turnip and mizuna family. *Komatsuna*, also known as “tender greens,” is grown year-round in both Japan and Taiwan and is harvested in bundles of individual leaves that resemble spinach. Similar to other Asian greens in the *Brassica* family, like *tatsoi* and baby bok choy, *komatsuna* has broad green leaves that are a good source of calcium. You can eat the leaves when they are both young and especially sweet or fully grown with a bolder, mustardy character. *Komatsuna* leaves have a slightly sweet, mellow flavor profile. This flavor is significantly heightened in *senposai* mustard, a cross between *komatsuna* and cabbage. In general, the maturity of the plant’s leaves is a great indication of the intensity of flavor: the more mature the leaves, the more potent the tingling mustard flavor will be. A variety of *komatsuna* called *goseki bansei* is closest to the peppery cultivar originally grown in Komatsugawa during the Edo period. This cultivar has larger leaves than regular *komatsuna*, with a bitter heat closer to rapini, mustard greens, and small, spicy-sweet Tokyo turnips and their greens. *Komatsuna* is best known for its satisfying textural trick: Its dark-green leaves stay crisp, even when cooked, lending both flavor and snappy crunch to everything from salads to stir-fries. 1. __As a garnish__: Use baby leaves and *komatsuna* microgreens in salads and soups. 2. __Add to stir-fries__: Like any dark, leafy greens, *komatsuna* is ideal for a quick stir-fry or sautéed with aromatics. In Japan, cooks occasionally serve the leafy green with grated daikon radish. 3. __Add to a pickle__: *Komatsuna* is a common ingredient in *shoyuzuke*, a form of pickling that uses a simple [soy sauce](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/soy-sauce-explained) marinade. Become a better chef with the [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com). Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Niki Nakayama, Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more. Named for the village of Komatsugawa by an eighteenth-century shogun passing through for lunch, these “greens of Komatsu” are an unassuming leafy vegetable with immense flavor.