Mito Soft and Sweet Green Onion (Ibaraki): season, origin and where to buy

Seasonal calendar

Shipped roughly from November through the following July.

Timing shifts with the weather and conditions in each region.

Official registration details (MAFF)

The registered description as published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Characteristics

Mito no Yawaraka Negi is straight and soft green onion. It is also sweet due to high glucose content. The soft white part is 1.3 to 1.6 times longer (approx. 40cm) than regular green onions. The whole part is edible since it does not have pungent-ness or bitterness as a result of low Pyruvic acid content.

Link with the production area

The production area receives long hours of sunlight during winter. Moreover, the soil of the production area has adequate drainage as well as water retentivity. The area also has enough cultivation soil layer with sufficient thickness. These natural settings allow to cultivate approximately 140cm-long green onion.

Characteristics and link with the area: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website (https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/intel/gi_act/register/s59.html)

Where to buy

As a rule, only products that meet the registered standard may use a GI name (with exceptions such as prior use). Check for the GI mark and the place of origin to tell it apart from ordinary products with similar names.

We have not found a reliable online or furusato nozei listing yet. Ask local farm stands or the producer group.

FAQ

A long white green onion grown under cover in Mito City and neighboring towns in Ibaraki Prefecture. Its straight white shaft reaches about 40 cm, 1.3 to 1.6 times longer than usual. Soft and sweet with little pungency or bitterness, it can be eaten raw, even the green parts.

Mito Soft and Sweet Green Onion is produced in Mito City, and Shirosato Town and Ibaraki Town in Higashiibaraki County, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Mito Soft and Sweet Green Onion is in season (harvested or shipped) in Nov–Jul. Shipped roughly from November through the following July.

We have not confirmed a reliable online or furusato nozei listing. Local farm stands or the producer group are your best bet.

Mito Soft and Sweet Green Onion was registered as a Geographical Indication on February 7, 2018 (Registration No. 59). The registered producer group is Mito Agricultural Cooperative.