Nanakusa – The 7 herbs of Spring

Nanakusa (春の七草) literally means ” seven spring herbs ” and as the name implies, they are the seven Japanese herbs used for the dish Nanakusa Gayu (七草粥), a rice soup eaten on January 7 each year. year. Since there is little green during this time of year, the first wild herbs not only bring colors to the dish and table, but also symbolize the new life that will come in the spring and it is believed that by eating this soup you will have good health during the beginning year.

What are the seven Nanakusa?

• Seri (せり) – Japanese water celery or parsley
• Nazuna (なずな・ぺんぺん草) / White Dandelion
• Gogyo (ごぎょう) / Borriza
• Hakobera (はこべら) / Chickweed
• Hotokenoza (ほとけのざ) / Lampshane
• Suzuna (すずな・かぶ) / Turnip
• Suzushiro (すずしろ・大根) / Radish

And it is that after eating Osechi Ryori , which is the dish that is eaten in the New Year during the first three or even four days of the New Year, sometimes the stomach resents it and that is why we Japanese eat every January 7 this rice soup that is light and healthy. This simple meal hits the spot and helps our tired stomach heal and bounce back faster and healthier.

Would you like to try or cook Nanakusa Gayu (七草粥) with the seven spring herbs of Japan? Here you can see the recipe!

There are also the Aki no Nanakusa 秋の七草, which are the seven autumn herbs, although these are only for your admiration, that is, they are not prepared together in a dish. Each one separately has something special! You can go here to continue reading about theAki no Nanakusa 秋の七草