Exotic Asian Veggies

Exotic Asian Veggies FARM HOME Food A California seed company that’s been in business since 1917 specializes in Japanese heirloom vegetables     With more than 250 seed varieties the variations offered by Kitazawa Seed are almost overwhelming The company lists 9 Japanese bunching onion varieties 14 Japanese cucumbers and eggplants from China 2 Thailand 7 and Japan 11     Descriptions of the vegetables often include how they are used in Asian foods and how they differ from conventional American varieties Carrots are a good example The company catalog describes how they are pickled or added to curries in India used in salads in Vietnam carved into garnishes or added to soups in Japan and fermented in Korea The carrots offered range in color from white to scarlet red to purple with orange interior as well as yellow and orange     While the majority of vegetables have conventional North American counterparts others like Komatsuna are uniquely Japanese This relative of the turnip family is raised for its leafy greens which get hotter and stronger as the leaves mature Other seeds are simply exotic though not from an Asian country Moloheyhia is a leafy vegetable popular in North Africa and the Mideast     Even an old American standby like sweet corn gets a Japanese twist Mirai 301 BC a hybrid has been bred to be super sweet Kitazawa claims Mirai in the husk will hold its quality for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator     If you want something different for your kitchen garden or your market garden Kitazawa Seed Company is the place to go     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Kitazawa Seed Company 201 4th St #206 Oakland Calif 94607 ph 510 595-1188; seeds@kitazawaseed com; www kitazawaseed com

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