Nanakusa refers to a group of seven herbs. It’s eaten as a rice porridge on January 7th to rest the stomach after the Japanese New Year’s feast and to bring good luck.
Nanakusa (春の七草), or “seven herbs,” refers to a group of Japanese herbs used for Nanakusa Gayu (七草粥 “seven herb rice porridge), a porridge eaten on January 7th, AKA nanakusa no sekku (七草の節句), or Festival of the Seven Herbs.
Since there is little green during winter, the herbs bring color to the dining table, add nutrition, and aid digestion 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 it with spring herbs, the lineup has 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 was recognized as an official event by the Shogunate. Rice porridge is a soft and bland dish eaten when sick or recovering from an illness. But it’s the perfect recovery food from the gluttonous feasting during the New Year.
The Seven Herbs in Nanakusa
- Seri (せり) / Water dropwort or Japanese parsley
- Nazuna (なずな・ぺんぺん草) / Shepherd’s Purse
- Gogyo (ごぎょう) / Cudweed
- Hakobera (はこべら) / Chickweed
- Hotokenoza (ほとけのざ) / Nipplewort
- Suzuna (すずな・かぶ) / Turnip
- Suzushiro (すずしろ・大根) / Daikon radish
Where to Buy
In Japan, you can find these set sold a few days before the 7th packaged like this.
Fresh nanakusa can be hard to find outside of Japan. I found a freeze-dried version 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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