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The "Tai-sai" (Brassica rapa var. chinensis) belongs to Brassiaceae (the Mustard family). It is an annual or a biennial herb that is thought that the Chinese variety, which was originally grown in the Hubei region and along the Yangtze River, was introduced to Japan at the beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1912) and became indigenous to Japan as "Seppaku tai-sai". The leaves are dark green with no hairs, and the long leaf stalks are white and upright, reaching a height of around 45 cm. The leaves and leaf stalks are mainly pickled, but they can also be boiled or stir-fried. It is also called "Shakushi-na" (ladle greens) because of its appearance. It was cultivated in various parts of the country until the beginning of the Showa period (1912-1989), but it gradually disappeared as the "Head chinese cabbage" became more widespread. In the Kanto region, it is used to cultivate "tsumani-na", which uses the tender young plants.
Regional varieties derived from "Tai-sai" include "Nagaoka-na" from Niigata Prefecture, "Yuki-na" from Yonezawa City in Yamagata Prefecture, "Nikanme-tai-sai" grown in the Tohoku region and Niigata Prefecture, and "Shigatsu-shiro-na" from northern Kanto.
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