Nanakusa (春の七草), or “seven herbs,” refers to a group of Japanese herbs used for Nanakusa Gayu (七草粥), a rice porridge eaten on January 7th. Since there is little green during the winter, the herbs bring colors to the dining table, nutrition, and rest the stomach after feasting on Osechi Ryori. They also symbolize new life awaiting spring and are believed to ring in good health for the New Year.
What Is Nanakusa
Nanakusa means seven herbs. While nowadays, people associate nanakusa with the spring herbs, the lineup changed over centuries. There are also summer, fall, and winter nanakusa. But they are not eaten and are held in the same esteem as the spring herbs. It wasn’t until the Edo era (1603-1867) that the custom of eating nanakusa gayu spread among the people and recognized as an official event by the Shogunate. Rice porridge is a soft and bland dish eaten when one is sick or recovering from an illness. But it’s perfect recovery food from the gluttonous feasting during the New Years.
The Seven Herbs in Nanakusa
Seri (せり) / Water dropwort or Japanese parsleyNazuna (なずな・ぺんぺん草) / Shepherd’s PurseGogyo (ごぎょう) / CudweedHakobera (はこべら) / ChickweedHotokenoza (ほとけのざ) / NipplewortSuzuna (すずな・かぶ) / TurnipSuzushiro (すずしろ・大根) / Daikon radish
Where to Buy
In Japan, you can find a Nanakusa Set sold a few days before the 7th packaged like this. Nanakusa can be hard to find outside of Japan. I found these freeze-dried Nanakusa in a package in Nijiya, a local Japanese grocery store chain in the Bay Area. Inside the package, there are two small packets. All you need to do is to add these freeze-dried herbs to the cooked rice porridge. Of course, nothing beats fresh herbs. But these freeze-dried herbs are convenient for those who want to follow this Nanakusa Gayu custom on January 7th.
Recipes with Nanakusa
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