Kabu turnip

Brassica rapa var rapifera


Has a very fine texture and tastes bittersweet raw, and sweet and very soft when cooked. It is said that kabu was introduced to Japan sometime BC 3c-10c, and today more than 80 species (both Asian-origin and European-origin) of kabu are grown in Japan. It is still new where we live in the Pacific Northwest. It is a cool season vegetable, and grows well in containers for us.

The white root contains diastase, a digestive enzyme, which controls stomach acid and reduces such discomfort as a heavy feeling stomach and heartburn. The effect of the enzyme is strongest when eaten raw or prepared without heat. Leaves are considered a secondary part of this vegetable, yet are rich in nutrition (beta carotene, Vitamin C, calcium, fiber), and are comparable to spinach and komatusna.

Isothiocyanate, a pungent substance in both root and leafy parts, is believed to control carcinogenic substances.

20 kcal/100 g; 93.9% water, 0.7% protein, 0.1% fat, 4.6% carbohydrate, 0.6% ash

Recipes with kabu

• Ebi to kabu no misoshiru / miso soup with shrimp and Japanese turnip
  
• Kabu to satoimo no surinagashi / Japanese turnip and baby taro root potage soup
  
• Kabocha-dofu no akadashi / Japanese pumpkin tofu with red miso soup (kabu leaves)
• Kabugohan / steamed rice with Japanese turnip
• Kaburamushi / steamed fish with grated Japanese turnip
• Kabu to usuage no nimono (genen) / Japanese turnip and thin deep-fried tofu in broth (reduced-sodium version) 
• Menuke to takenoko no nitsuke / rock cod and bamboo shoot in reduced broth (kabu leaves)
• Kabu no ebi-ankake / Japanese turnips with thickened prawn sauce
• Sake to tofu no komatsuna suigyoza / shuijiao boiled dumplings with salmon and tofu in komatsuna wrappers
  
• Kabu no kinpira / kinpura saute with Japanese turnip
• Kabu to tomato no nikomi / Japanese turnips in tomato sauce
• Nameshi / steamed rice mixed with leafy greens (kabu leaves)
• Tomato to satsumaage, kabu no oden / oden stew with tomatoes, deep-fried fishcakes and Japanese turnips
  
• Tororo to kabu no hana no osumashi / clear soup with grated Chinese yam and Japanese turnip flowers 
• Kabu to radisshu no yuzukosho sarada / Japanese turnip and radish salad with yuzukosho
• Ainame no oroshi-ni, kabu to satoimo zoe / deep-fried ling cod in soy sauce broth with grated daikon radish, with Japanese turnip and baby taro root
• Kikuka kabu / chrysanthemum-cut Japanese turnip
• Kabu to usuage no nimono / Japanese turnip and thin deep-fried tofu in broth 
• Konsai no misoshiru / miso soup with root vegetables
• Shiozake no oroshiae / grilled salted salmon with grated daikon radish

Try kabu in the following recipes

• Seiyo meshida to ebi no tosazu-oroshi-ae / lady fern fiddleheads and shrimp in bonito flake infused vinegar dressing with grated daikon radish (grate kabu root instead of daikon)
  
• Gomoku ankake udon / wheat noodles with thickened soup and assorted ingredients
  
• Koyadofu no ageyaki to renkon no horenso-an / fried freeze-dried tofu and lotus root with spinach dashi sauce (kabu leaves)
  
• Miso yasai raamen / vegetable ramen noodles with miso-flavored soup
  (kabu leaves)
• Tosho chaamen / dao xiao chao mian / fried hand-shaven noodles (kabu leaves)
• Suigyoza no chige-fu nabe / jjigae-style hotpot with shui jiao dumplings
  
• Horenso to shungiku, kikka no ohitashi / spinach, garland chrysanthemum and chrysanthemum flowers in light broth (kabu leaves)
  
• Kinkan namasu / daikon radish and kumquat pickled in sweetened vinegar
• Karifurawaa to satoimo, daikon, seri no surinagashi / cauliflower, baby taro root and daikon radish white miso potage soup with water dropwort 
• Oden (genen) / fishcake, tofu and root vegetable stew (reduced-sodium version)
  
• Tonyu miso nikomi udon / hot-pot udon wheat noodles in red miso and soy milk broth 
• Shungiku to ringo no mizore-ae / garland chrysanthemum and apple with grated daikon radish and sweetened vinegar 
• Daikon no shiso-amazu-ae / daikon radish with sweetened perilla-infused vinegar 
• Tomato no amazu oroshi-ae / tomato with grated daikon radish and sweetened vinegar 
• Nori to nanohana no osuimono / clear soup with nori seaweed and field mustard flowers (kabu flowers)
• Kankoku mitsuba no shiraae / cham namul with tofu dressing (kabu leaves)
  
• Atsuage to mizuna no ponzujoyu-ni / deep-fried tofu and mizuna simmered in citrus soy sauce (kabu leaves)
  
• Koyadofu to saishin no nibitashi / freeze-dried tofu and yu choy sum simmered in broth (kabu leaves)
  
• Horenso, moyashi, sumookusaamon no ohitashi / spinach, mung bean sprouts and smoked salmon marinated in light broth (kabu leaves)
• Daikon no shiso soosu-ae / daikon radish salad with green perilla dressing 
• Soba to warabi no ponzu sarada / buckwheat noodle and bracken salad with citrus soy sauce (kabu leaves)
  
• Sakana no oisutaasoosu-ni, howajao-iri / simmered fish in oyster sauce-flavored broth with Sichuan peppers
  
• Konsai no sakekasu misoshiru / miso soup with root vegetables and sake lees
  
• Sake to hijiki no itameni / salmon saute with hijiki seaweed (kabu leaves)
  
• Atsuage, moyashi, saishin no nibitashi / deep-fried tofu, mung bean sprouts and yu choy sum simmered in light broth (kabu leaves)
  
• Tonyu nabe / hot pot with soy milk broth
• Ebi-shinjo to yasai ribon no nabe / hot pot with prawn-fish dumplings and vegetable ribbons
  
• Kiriboshi-daikon to saishin no misoshiru / miso soup with dried julienned daikon radish and yu choy sum (kabu leaves)
• Kani zosui / steamed rice with crab and egg in broth (kabu leaves)
  
• Konsai no yooguruto misoshiru / root vegetable miso soup with yogurt
  
• Sakana to saishin no tamagoyaki / omelet with fish and yu choy sum
• Yukimi-nabe / hot pot with tofu and grated daikon radish 

(Last updated: June 3, 2019)