Using Ki no Me (木の芽), the young leaves of the SANSHO ( Japanese Pepper) Tree to Make Distinctively Savory and Aromatic pastes (木の芽和え)
Everything set to begin making pastes- ki no me ( young leaves of the sansho tree), sesame seeds, miso paste, mirin, sugar, and vinegar
By Avi Landau
As spring deepens, the trees which had been bare over the winter fill out with the fresh greenery of young leaves. For the many in Japan who still celebrate the seasons and try to maintain seasonality in their meals, the new tree leaves which are most cherished in spring are those of the SANSHO TREE ( the Japanese pepper tree, Zanthoxylum piperitum).
These distinctively fragrant and flavorful leaves, which are called KI NO ME (木の芽), literally tree sprouts, in Japanese are used both as a garnish for various spring dishes, and as an ingredient itself.
And while those living in big Japanese cities have to pay relatively high prices at supermarkets for a few of these tasty leaves, here in Tsukuba ( and the anywhere else out in the country) there is plenty of wild sansho there for the picking in the woods. Many people also have these trees growing in their gardens, and if you ask, you will more than likely be able to walk away with at least a small bag-full.
Even if you don`t plan on making these leaves a part of your meal, I recommend that at least you take a whiff of their distinctive aroma. If you pick , or are given some, hold them in one hand with your palm facing up, and then slap them hard with your free hand. The fragrance will come wafting up instantly.
Ki no me (木の芽), the young leaves of the sansho tree ( Japanese pepper) ready to be ground into a paste
For those of you who would like to have a deeper and more fulfilling KI NO ME experience, let me tell you how to make some savory, miso based pastes, which go terrifically well with seasonal vegetables such as bamboo shoots and UDO, squid, or tofu.
I learned how to make them from Asako Seo who used fresh KI NO ME picked at her friend`s garden.
Golden sesame seeds ( kin no goma)
Ideally, to make these pastes you will need a mortar and pestle, though I`m sure that if you do not have those available that you will be able to improvise.
The ingredients you will need are:
KI NO ME, miso, sesame seeds, sugar, mirin ( sake for cooking), and vinegar
Miso paste, ground sesame seeds, sugar, and ground ki no me (木の芽), ready to be blended in a grinding bowl
Seo-San has experimented with these ingredients in various combinations. First I will teach you the one that I found to be most delicious. It is called:
KI NO ME GOMA MISO (木の芽ごまみそ) .
First grind up a handful of KI NO ME, and do the same to a heaping spoonful of golden sesame seeds ( Mmmm… smells so good!)
Then blend with a tablespoon of miso paste, and sugar and mirin to taste.
Five different dipping pasted made with miso- 3 of them contain ki no me ( 木の芽), the young leaves of the sansho tree
Next you might want to try adding a little vinegar to this mixture to make:
KＩ NO ME GOMA SU MISO ( 木の芽ごま酢みそ)
You can also try it with the sesame seeds or vinegar to make KI NO ME MISO (木の芽みそ)
Young leaves from a sansho tree ( Japanese pepper) used to garnish a serving of NIMONO ( boiled vegetables, etc.)- in May)
And if you find that you do not care for the sansho leave`s unique taste and aroma you can make pastes without it:
SU MISO (酢みそ): blending vinegar, miso and sugar
or GOMA SU MISO (ごま酢みそ) blending ground sesame seeds, miso, vinegar and sugar
Ki no me (木の芽), the young leaves of the sansho tree, used to garnish a sweetfish (ayu) dish
Of course, the most fun is to make all these different pastes and try them out with different foods ( tofu, ika, asparagus, udo, etc,)!
The pastes and some things they go well with- asparagus, udo ( a wild vegetable), and tofu
You might have heard of the sansho tree ( Japanese pepper) before, as its seeds are used to make a spice ( called sansho) which is most often encountered at restaurants which serve eel ( unagi) and as one of the ingredients of SHICHIMI ( Japanese seven-spice) which is sometimes added to a bowl of hot soba.
This spice is not only tasty ( going perfectly with unagi) but can also bring about a numbing sensation to the lips and tongue.
A small sansho tree in the woods of Tsukuba`s Konda District
But while the sansho powder can be enjoyed any time of year, it is NOW is deep spring, that dishes are garnished with and flavored with KI NO ME, not the seeds, but the young leaves of the sansho tree.
A shichimi ( seven spice) salesman`s stall displays the 7 ingredients used in the mixture.- sansho is the 3rd powder from the bottom