🍱 Tsuwabukino-aburaitame (fried tsuwabuki)

Tsuwabuki is native to Japan and grows wild south of Fukushima and Ishikawa prefectures in Honshu, but has long been used as a food mainly in Kyushu and some other regions. Today, it is cultivated in Miyazaki Prefecture, Saiki City in Oita Prefecture, and Kagoshima Prefecture, but it grows wild along the coastline in the southern part of Miyazaki Prefecture due to its mild climate. In the Nichinan region, Tsuwabuki is said to be a poison remover, and during the Taisho era (1912-1926), it was actively shipped to coal miners in Kitakyushu, where they would eat it. Tsuwabuki is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae family, and is sometimes called Ishibuki, Tsuyababuki, or simply Tsuwa due to its appearance. It is similar to Fuki, but while Fuki spreads its leaves in summer, Tsuwabuki is evergreen and grows green all year round, with thicker leaves, shiny surface, darker green color, and many hairs on the stem and leaves. Fukinoto, like Fuki, does not form, but grows a flower stalk and produces yellow flowers from autumn to late autumn. It is used in a variety of dishes such as Tsukudani and Aemono, and "Tsuwabukino-aburaitame" is a popular dish often made in the Nichinan region as one of theTsuwabuki dishes.