February is going to end soon, and we feel the sun shine getting stronger here in Okinawa.  Now the season is shifting from winter to spring, we need to pay more attention to our healthy.  For that reason, I would like to introduce here some vegetables and food peculiar to Okinawa.  The first article is about “Handama.”

“Handama” was brought to Okinawa and some Kyushu areas from China.  For its nutritional value, Handama has been familiar with many people as a medical herb since then.  Even now, it is one of the healthy vegetables to be noted.

Handama is rich in iron, magnesium, and Vitamin A.  Hanadama usually catches people’s eye for its leaf color.  The leaf contains a reddish purple pigment of polyphenol, anthocyanin.  Handama is believed to be effective to relieve poor blood circulation, anemia, eyestrain, and eye swelling so Okinawan people call Handama “medicine for blood.”  It is also believed that Handama has antioxidant effects; we should take it for anti-aging purpose.

You can enjoy Handama in a fresh salad.  The raw Handama has a briskly texture and its color leaf makes a salad impressive.  You can find Handama at the salad bar at many restaurants.  On the other hand, when cooked, Handama changes its texture to slimy.  Boil it quickly, drain, and pour a little bit of soy sauce.  Simple, but very healthy traditional Japanese side dish, Ohitashi is ready!  Handama is a very useful ingredient for deep-fry, stir-fry, miso soup and many more.

The best season for Handama is between spring and early summer, in other words, you will find it in a grocery store more often.  When you have a chance, please try!

Reported by Tomomi Tanaka, Sugahara Institute