Fresh Myoga Japanese Ginger Buds 50g

This was delicious - i ate some fresh with rice and tofu, and the rest I pickled. Gently fiery finish, that wakens the palatte.

Great pickled, but equally good raw

I'd tried pickled myoga shoots in the past and been underwhelmed, but the buds had eluded me until now. They're a different story: a very delicate, floral/ citrus flavour and an addictive crisp texture. I bought three packs initially to try them fresh, frozen, and pickled, and I liked the pickled ones so much that I bought more buds just for pickling in sweet vinegar. (Ratios to taste, but I use 100ml of rice vinegar to 50g of sugar plus half a teaspoon of salt, boil briefly and cool before pouring over the buds, stick the jar in the fridge, and they're ready to eat after two days.) Apparently they'll keep for a couple of weeks, but I haven't been able to leave them alone that long. I'm going to try to save a few from this batch a little longer to test their longevity. The buds turn a deeper pink and are great in onigiri fillings as well as all the garnish and salad uses you'd expect. The vinegar, which also turns pink, is worth saving for dressings and even sushi rice. They're great snacks in their own right, too. If you've ever eaten a whole jar of pickled rakkyo and not regretted it (in my defence, they come in very small jars) you'll love pickled buds on their own. I'm still waiting for my myoga plants to start flowering, but now I know it'll be worth the wait. I've shown them the buds so that they understand their mission objective.

The myoga arrived fresh and they are decently sized. I’ve frozen them for making shibazuke in the autumn and I’m very pleased with them.