Japanese food

Last update September 9, 2025

Japanese Food - Shun Ghiku -



  

Shun Ghiku

Edible Chrysanthemum

As a small child, I hated it whenever this food was put on the dinner table because its strong, refreshing aroma was not agreeable. But after growing up, I understood why my mother said, “This distinctive aroma is the reason people love this food”. Literally meaning “spring chrysanthemum”, Shun Ghiku refers to several species of crown daisy (Glebionis coronaria), originating in the Mediterranean, whose leaves are consumed as a green vegetable. It’s also called “Kiku Na” (chrysanthemum leaf vegetable) in the Kansai region. It’s eaten as an ingredient of Nabe Ryōri (pot cuisine), such as Sukiyaki (beef pot cuisine) and Yudōfu (Tōfu pot cuisine), or even Ohitashi or Tempura.

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Shun Ghiku before cooking. 		japanese-food-yudofu
Yudōfu with Shun Ghiku.
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Shun Ghiku before cooking.

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Yudōfu with Shun Ghiku.