Leafy greens
Dried Shungiku (Chrysanthemum Greens)Blanch, Then Dry: Drying Time and Storage
Shungiku, or chrysanthemum greens, is a leafy green with a distinctive herbal aroma, a staple of Japanese hot pot. Outside Japan, look for it at Asian grocery stores, sometimes as “garland chrysanthemum” or “tong ho”. Drying intensifies its aroma and flavor.
Leafy greens spoil quickly and wilt within days even in the fridge. Dry what you can’t use, and you can add it to hot pot or soups in seconds.
Leafy greens are not suited to semi-drying. If some water is left in them, they spoil quickly, so dry them until completely crisp.
| Drying time | Storage | |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | 2–3 days | 1 month at room temperature |
Drying times assume drying during the day in sunny weather and bringing them in at night.
How to dry shungiku
- Trim the base: Cut off the hard base and wash well.
- Blanch in salted water: Add salt to boiling water and blanch for about 30 seconds. Blanching keeps the color bright and removes bitterness.
- Squeeze out the water: Cool in cold water, squeeze hard by hand, then wrap in paper towels to remove even more water.
- Spread out and dry: Spread the leaves out a little and lay them on a basket without overlapping. The more you spread them, the faster they dry. Put them somewhere sunny and breezy, and bring them in by evening.
Where and when to dry is covered in How to Dry Vegetables, and tools in Tools for Drying Vegetables.
When it’s done
Dry (2–3 days)
It’s done when the leaves have curled, turned dark green, and crumble when rubbed between your fingers. The thick stems dry last, so snap one; if it bends, dry a little longer.
Day by day
Before drying
Day 1
Day 2
Storage
- Room temperature: Put completely crisp shungiku in a bag or airtight container with a desiccant, and keep somewhere cool and out of direct sun for about 1 month. It goes limp quickly in damp air, so press all the air out of the bag.
- Frozen: To keep it longer, freeze it for 2–3 months.
If it goes limp from moisture during storage, dry it again. Fuzzy white or green growth, black spots or a bad smell are signs of mold or spoilage; throw it away. More in How to Store Dried Vegetables.
How to use it
- Use it dry: Add straight to hot pot, sukiyaki, miso soup, soups and rice porridge. It holds its shape and keeps its aroma.
- Rehydrate: For ohitashi (greens in broth) or dressed side dishes, soak in water for 5–10 minutes and squeeze.
- Rice seasoning: Crumble by hand and mix with small dried fish (jako) and sesame for a shungiku furikake.
