The Sound & Scent of Sesame: Japanese Winter Spinach

Continuing from the previous episode, Yoko Arimoto prepares a meal using winter vegetables from Shinano Town in Nagano Prefecture. Mr. Kazushiro Yoshida of Rakuei Farm showed us a field of cold-hardened spinach.

The spinach grows close to the ground, and inside the greenhouse the temperature drops to –10°C at night and rises to 20°C during the day—all without any heating. In this harsh winter environment, growers take advantage of these temperature fluctuations to cultivate cold-hardened spinach.

To prevent freezing, the leaves contract and thicken—hence the name “chijimi spinach,” which literally means “shrinking spinach.” As the vegetable releases moisture and accumulates sugars, its sweetness increases dramatically, and it becomes rich in vitamins.

I extend my gratitude to Mr. Yoshida, who also cultivates vast fields of snow cabbage, Mr. Kenji Nakamura (featured in the previous episode), and Mr. Toshiaki Ishikawa (the former director of a roadside station who served as our guide). Using cold-hardened spinach and snow carrots, I prepared a dish dressed with sesame.

Grinding fragrant sesame in a mortar is one of my favorite kitchen tasks.