Nozawana

Mentaiko and nozawana on rice

Nozawana (野沢菜) is a Japanese leaf vegetable, often pickled. It is of the same species as the common turnip and one of a Japanese variety of mustard leaf. Its leaves are approximately 60–90cm long.

Sometime between 1751 and 1764 it was taken by a master of a Buddhist temple who lived in Nozawa from the Kyoto mountains to the Nozawa-onsen village. It was cultivated around that area, and thus named Nozawana: na means vegetable in Japanese.

Pickled nozawana is one of the most typical local foods in Nagano Prefecture.