Shishito to eringi, myoga no miso-itame / stir-fried shishito peppers, king oyster mushroom and Japanese ginger buds with miso sauce

Crispy shishito and myoga stand out in this small side dish, which offers the punch of red miso against the soft and chewy texture of eringi mushroom. To ensure crispiness of shishito and myoga, cook eringi on relatively high heat to prevent it from letting out moisture and making everything soggy.

1/2 of recipe:
36 calories; 2.0 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 5.7 g carbohydrate; 3.1 g net carbs; 81 mg sodium (with shoyukoji soy sauce rice malt made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber; 252 mg potassium

Kuzushi-dofu no yakumi sarada / tofu salad with condiments

An easy tofu salad featuring the standard toppings for hiyayakko chilled tofu. This is a very quick dish, except for the time to let out the excess moisture from tofu. If you cannot wait, place large chunks of tofu between your palms and gently press.

I used to make this with tonburi, the boiled seeds of hokigi [Bassia scoparia or Kochia scoparia], in Japan. Since it is not available where we live, I use chia seeds below, but they are optional.

1/2 of recipe:
72 calories; 4.9 g protein; 4.2 g fat; 3.6 g carbohydrate; 2.1 g net carbs; 91 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber; 171 mg potassium

Sansai tanuki soba / buckwheat noodles with mountain vegetables and tempura pearls

As a noodle topping, sansai mountain vegetables alone give a refreshing taste but could be a bit too light. Tenkasu tempura pearls add a rich note but could lack texture. They soak up the soup, which could also mean you get more sodium than desired. Combining these two ingredients while reducing the volume of each is one delicious solution. Sliced young myoga stems offer a clean aroma and taste.

For the recipe below, usukuchi pale soy sauce and regular dark soy sauce, not reduced-sodium soy sauce, are used for the soup to achieve stronger umami. Dried enoki mushrooms are also added to enhance the umami effect. The strong soup means more satisfaction with a smaller amount compared to a weaker soup, and this naturally makes us refrain from taking extra sips, preventing excess sodium consumption. This works especially well with unflavored toppings or toppings that contain lots of moisture.

1/2 of recipe: 
425 calories; 17.7 g protein; 3.6 g fat; 78.6 g carbohydrate; 8.4 g net carbs; 479 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 7.2 g fiber; 371 mg potassium

Koyadofu to warabi no misoshiru / miso soup with freeze-dried tofu and bracken

Spongy rehydrated freeze-dried tofu absorbs the delicious flavor medley of the soup, which is released into your mouth as you bite or chew pieces of koyadofu. Its resilient texture contrasts well with succulent warabi bracken. Pale young stems of myoga are sliced for an invigorating garnish for this low-key miso soup.

1/2 of recipe:
64 calories; 5.7 g protein; 3.2 g fat; 2.9 g carbohydrate; 1.9 g net carbs; 250 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber; 181 mg potassium

Tomato to myoga no ponzujoyu-ae / tomato and Japanese ginger buds in citrus soy sauce

A quick small salad for summer. Ingredients are flavorful reminders of the season and naturally go well together. This can be made rich, strong or light, depending on when and where oil is added.

1/2 of recipe:
21 calories; 0.7 g protein; 0.6 g fat; 4.0 g carbohydrate; 3.0 g net carbs; 14 mg sodium (with homemade ponzujoyu made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

Nasu to myoga no misoshiru / miso soup with eggplant and Japanese ginger buds

A summery pairing of eggplant and myoga ginger buds! Eggplant goes really well with miso. In this soup, fresh myoga gives a zesty punch. Eggplant skin tends to become dull when cooked in soup; add eggplant while dashi is vigorously boiling to retain its beautiful purple tone.

1/2 of recipe: 
30 calories; 1.9 g protein; 0.4 g fat; 5.1 g carbohydrate; 3.4 g net carbs; 248 mg sodium (with reduced-sodium miso); 1 mg cholesterol; 1.7 g fiber

Myoga no amazuzuke / Japanese ginger buds marinated in sweetened vinegar

Myoga buds naturally turn pinkish in vinegar. Often served as a colorful little companion to grilled fish in summer, these pickles are also tasty when added to steamed or sushi rice, noodles, and grilled or fried vegetables such as eggplant.

Whole recipe (solids):
29 calories; 1.3 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 12.0 g carbohydrate; 5.6 g net carbs; 47 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.9 g fiber

1 medium-large myoga (1/5 of recipe):
6 calories; 0.3 g protein; 0 g fat; 2.4 g carbohydrate; 1.1 g net carbs; 9 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.6 g fiber

Hiyajiru / steamed barley rice with cold sesame-miso soup with cucumber and grilled fish

Literally called "cold soup," this soupy rice dish is a quick meal for hot days in southern Japan's Miyazaki Prefecture. When I first learned about this dish, the description sounded reminiscent of neko manma [lit. cat rice], where you pour miso soup over steamed rice and shovel it in, and at first I was doubtful: Would this actually taste good? Well, there was nothing to do but to try to figure that out. The mixture of miso and sesame paste is first toasted for a deep rich taste, while cucumber, shiso leaves and ginger contribute to a refreshing aftertaste. When the soup is prepared in the cool of the morning, the rest is quite easy and fast. While cucumber is available all year around nowadays, in oriental medicine it is known for cooling down your body -- a very appropriate vegetable for the dog days of summer.
This is another great choice when having little appetite on hot days!

1/2 of recipe, served with 120 g steamed barley rice:
370 calories; 26.8 g protein; 8.8 g fat; 45.2 g carbohydrate; 40.9 g net carbs; 452 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 4.3 g fiber

1/2 of recipe, soup only:
209 calories; 24.0 g protein; 8.3 g fat; 9.6 g carbohydrate; 7.0 g net carbs; 452 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber

Petoraaru karei to edamame no myoga-mushi-zushi / steamed sushi with petrale sole and edamame, wrapped in myoga ginger leaves

If you have access to fresh myoga leaves, try them as wrappers. A somewhat intense, refreshing aroma stimulates your senses as you unwrap packets at the table. Below is an example with steamed sushi.

1 packet:
114 calories; 6.0 g protein; 0.8 g fat; 19.3 g carbohydrate; 18.9 g net carbs; 59 mg sodium (with sushizu made with shiokoji & ponzujoyu made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 210 mg with store-bought sushizu & ponzujoyu); 10 mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber

Ebi to okura, myoga no kakiage / mixed tempura with shrimp, okra and myoga ginger buds

A summery marriage of salty sweet shrimp, green okra and refreshing myoga ginger buds! Squeeze lemon over for a light, zesty finish. As deep-frying softens the sharp tang of myoga, this can be a good introductory dish for those who have hesitated to try the spicy little vegetable.

1/2 of recipe:
170 calories; 8.2 g protein; 10.5 g fat; 9.3 g carbohydrate; 7.8 g net carbs; 59 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber

Nasu to kyuri, myoga no sunomono / Japanese eggplant, cucumber and ginger bud in rice vinegar dressing

A refreshing summer trio! The zesty aroma of a Japanese myoga ginger bud adds a great accent to this sunomono.

Yakinasu no akadashi / red miso soup with grilled eggplant

The concentrated taste of grilled eggplant goes great with the strong flavor of red miso soup. Sliced myoga Japanese ginger buds are packed with aroma and flavor, and instantly turn the spotlight on this simple combination.