Hosta Recipe

......... H. montana to be exact, is called "urui" (u - ru - i) and consumed by Japanese people as a delicacy in the spring. Recently, Yuki Urui or "Snow Urui" grown in Mogami, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, is getting its popularity. As its name explains, it is white and tender -- tender enough for fresh salad. They move the hostas to a greenhouse late in the fall, and keep the dormant hostas covered in the winter. This way, the hostas emerge white and very tender.

For those who want to try, cut off fresh leaves of hosta (preferably H. montana) just above the crown. Wash them well, and cook in boiling water with a little salt for 1/2 minute to 1-1/2 minutes. Drain well in a colander. Cut the leaves into 1 to 2 inches. Serve them with mayonnaise, your favorite salad dressing or soy sauce with grated ginger or dried bonito flakes.

You don't have H. montana in your garden? How about H. 'Sagae'? Do you remember the story that H. 'Sagae' was found in the vegetable garden sporting from a hosta that a farmer was growing for food? Do you know H. 'Sagae' was found in Sagae City in Yamagata Prefecture, home of Yuki Urui? That's right! H. 'Sagae' is the 'Urui' with a little different colors!

One of my hosta friends in Japan, Kenya, gave me the following photos and his recipe of urui to share with my non-Japanese speaking hosta friends.

Urui with Vinegar Mustard Miso Dressing by Kenya

Ingredients:

Hosta (H. montana or whatever hosta you'd like to try)
White miso (bean paste)
Sugar
Sake (Japanese rice wine) or mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
Vinegar (Kenya recommends rice vinegar)
Mustard

1. Prepare hosta (Refer to the 2nd paragraph of this page)
2. Serve with VMM Dressing (Recipe below)

Boiled hosta
VMM Dressing

1. Place white miso and sugar (about 1 : 0.7) in a small sauce pan
2. Add some sake or mirin just enough so it is easy to mix
3. Cook over low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon
4. It is done when it turns creamy
5. Cool the miso mixture
6. Add vinegar to thin the miso mixture and mix well with a whisk
7. Prepare mustard if you use dry one; Luke-warm water makes the mustard spicier
8. Add the mustard to your taste to the miso mixture, and mix more with a whisk
9. Serve the cooked hosta with the dressing

*********************************
Hosta Cookery . . . . . . By Ernie Flippo

Now for lunch...there's nothing quite like a nice plate of free-range, hosta-fed slugs saut�ed in garlic butter....

Here is a link that might be useful: Hosta for lunch