Kabu to tomato no nikomi / Japanese turnips in tomato sauce

Kabu's soft sweetness blends well with tomato sauce. This tender dish with basic ingredients goes very well with freshly baked bread.

Renkon no amazu-itame / sauteed lotus root in sweetened vinegar

A small sweet and spicy side dish of crunchy lotus root.

Soramame-iri safuran rizotto / saffron risotto with fava beans

Cheerful and aromatic. The combination of saffron and fava beans is simple enough to pair with any dish -- fish, meat, other beans and vegetables.

Gobo to ninjin, enoki no misoshiru / miso soup with burdock root, carrot and enoki mushrooms

Burdock root gives lots of deep flavor while enoki mushrooms add a faint sourness. Thinly sliced vegetables liven up this hearty miso soup.

Soramame to ebi no tamagotoji / fava beans and prawns simmer-steamed with egg

A tender egg dish with a golden combination of fava beans and prawns. This pleasant oil-free dish is gentle enough for breakfast and for tired stomachs.

Soramame fava beans

Vicia faba

Inconvenience is probably what makes fresh fava beans unfamiliar or unpopular in this country; their season is short and they are sold in pods (bothersome to shell and lots of waste, which means “no deal” with this vegetable). Well, fava beans do not last long once shelled, so buying them in pods makes much better sense. You can freeze them after boiling. And the bitter taste? Cooking reduces the bitterness, especially when less water is used (steamed, fried, baked, grilled). The bitterness also can be a contrasting accent when combined with ingredients with a sweet note, such as prawns or sweet rice. Some ingredients, such as saffron and cheese, can enhance the bitter character of fava beans. It is a starchy vegetable. If you like potatoes (17.6 g carbohydrate/100 g), you might like fava beans (15.5 g).

Nasu no yakibitashi / sauteed eggplant marinated in light broth

A lighter version of agebitashi (deep-fried and marinated), which is probably more common with eggplant. Quickly sauteing and steaming make eggplant as soft and creamy as when deep-fried. A great companion for meals and drinks.