Myoga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Myōga
Scientific classification
Genus:	Zingiber
Species:	mioga
Synonyms
Amomum mioga Thunb. Zingiber mijooka Siebold, spelling variation Zingiber sjooka Siebold Zingiber mioga var. variegatum Makino Zingiber echuanense Y.K.Yang

An old drawing of myoga leaves from a Japanese book (1804)

Myoga, also known as myoga ginger or Japanese ginger, is a special plant from the ginger family. Its scientific name is Zingiber mioga. It is a type of plant that grows back every year.

Myoga is originally from Japan, China, and the southern part of Korea. People mostly use its tasty flower buds and young shoots in cooking.

Cooking with Myoga

In Japanese cuisine, the flower buds are often cut into thin slices. They are used to add flavor to dishes like miso soup and sunomono (a type of vinegar salad). They also taste great with roasted eggplant.

In Korean cuisine, the flower buds are sometimes put on skewers with pieces of meat. Then, they are cooked in a pan until they are ready to eat.

Growing Myoga

Myoga has been grown in Japan for a very long time. Now, it is also grown in Australia and New Zealand. This helps supply myoga to the Japanese market.

Where Myoga Grows Best

Myoga is a woodland plant. This means it needs shady places to grow well. It can handle cold weather, even temperatures as low as -16 degrees Celsius (3 degrees Fahrenheit). It might even survive colder temperatures.

Different Types of Myoga

There are a few special types of myoga plants. These types have leaves with different colors or patterns. They are called 'Dancing Crane', 'Silver Arrow', and 'White Feather'. These colorful types are not as good at handling cold weather as the regular myoga plants.

Myoga and Health

Scientists are studying some parts of myoga. They are looking into how these parts might be helpful for health.

Gallery

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  Myoga plants growing

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  Myoga fruits with red insides and black seeds

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  Myoga buds ready to be sold