Shungiku: 6 Ways to Use the Leafy Green

Shungiku is the eastern Japanese name for leaves or dark greens from the glebionis coronaria plant, commonly known as “garland chrysanthemum” or “chop suey greens” in English. The ingredient is known as “Kikuna” in western Japan and “tong hao” in Chinese.

Shungiku is an annual leafy herb with lobed, green leaves and white and yellow flowers that bloom in spring. The flower's petals are white at the outer edge and vibrant yellow in the center, earning shungiku the alternative name of “crown daisy.” Shungiku originated in Europe and is a native Mediterranean plant, but many East Asian countries cultivate it as a cooking ingredient. It also grows naturally in some parts of North America. Shungiku grows well in vegetable patches or herb containers and can reach around twenty-four inches tall when mature.

Shungiku comes in broadleaf and narrow-leaf varieties. Narrow-leaf shungiku has short, thin leaves and grows best in cool and mild climates. On the other hand, broadleaf shungiku has thicker, larger leaves and copes better in warm and hot climates than narrow-leaf varieties. Both types contain relatively high levels of beta carotene compared to other common sources, such as cucumber and eggplant.

Shungiku has a grassy, bitter flavor distinct from other leafy green vegetables like spinach and chard. The leaves have a slightly succulent texture, and the stalks are crunchy.

Shungiku's flavor profile changes somewhat as the plant ages. Younger chrysanthemum greens harvested before the flowering stage of the plant's life cycle have a mild taste. Older leaves picked after the plant blooms are significantly more bitter and stronger in flavor than young leaves.

Shungiku recipes commonly use the plant's leaves, but the flower petals are also edible. Overcooking the leaves can make them taste unpleasantly bitter, so they're often lightly steamed, sauteed, or blanched. Here are a few ways that chefs prepare the herb:

1. 1. For flavoring hotpots: Often, Japanese cuisine incorporates shungiku as a herbal flavoring in meat and fish hotpots such as shabu shabu or sukiyaki, a hotpot dish made from meat, vegetables, and soy sauce.
2. 2. As a side dish: It's sometimes served alone as a side dish, often with sesame seeds. The chrysanthemum coronarium leaves are usually immersed briefly in boiling water and then plunged into cold water to help them retain their color and texture when served alone. Shungiku leaves are less common in European cuisine. However, a glebionis coronaria variety called mantilida sometimes features as a side dish in Crete. Cooks steam the shoots or serve them raw.
3. 3. As a garnish: Some Japanese salads and soups also include a sprinkling of shungiku flower petals as a garnish.
4. 4. In soups and stews: Shungiku leaves also feature in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cuisine. Chinese soup and stir-fry recipes sometimes include shungiku, and Vietnamese cooks often add it to meat stews or fry it alone to serve as a side dish.
5. 5. To temper fish recipes: Korean cooks may add shungiku leaves to strongly flavored fish recipes to balance the fishy flavor with bitterness.
6. 6. In salads: Several cuisines incorporate raw shungiku leaves as a salad ingredient. The seeds are also edible, and you can sprout them for use in salads and sandwiches.

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