ASHORO, Hokkaido -- This year's harvest of Rawanbuki (giant Japanese butterbur) -- one of the largest types of butterbur plant in the nation that grows to over 3 meters tall and with a stem with the thickness of 10 centimeters -- has entered its peak season in this Hokkaido town.
When Kenichi Nagai, a 65-year-old farmer, cut the root of a stem with a sickle, water gushed forth and released a refreshing fragrance that filled his 5.5-hectare field. Harvesting began in June, and about 50 tons of the plant are expected to be harvested from his field by the end of this month.
They only grew to be about 2 meters this year due to the light snow, however, "The meat of the plant is thick and tastes good. I recommend enjoying them as tempura or simmering them after filling the hollow stem with meat," Nagai said. He sells the butterbur mainly at a stand in his field.
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