Omi Hino Hinona Turnip (Shiga): season, origin and where to buy

Official registration details (MAFF)

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

Characteristics

Slender in shape, the root is typically a strong red-purple in hue toward its top. The flesh can be tinted pink consistently with the use of vinegar alone.

Link with the production area

This vegetable has its origins in a variety of kabu (Japanese turnip) discovered in Kaigake, Hino (today's Hino Town, Gamo County) during the Muromachi period (14C-16C). Community-wide efforts are in place to prevent hybridization. These include the establishment of an orgnization for managing the original species; and pruning away all yellow blossoms in the local area that can cross-pollinate, an early-spring custom known locally as zatsuna-gari.

Characteristics and link with the area: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website (https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/intel/gi_act/register/s122.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.

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These links go to Japanese-language shops; check whether they ship overseas.

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Hino Town offers fresh hinona (by advance reservation) and hinona pickles as furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) gifts.

FAQ

A slender turnip from Hino Town, Shiga. Deep reddish-purple up to the top of the root, it reliably turns cherry-blossom pink with nothing but vinegar. It traces back to a variety found in Kakeji, Hino, in the Muromachi period, and the community works together to preserve the original strain.

Omi Hino Hinona Turnip is produced in Hino Town, Gamo County, Shiga Prefecture.

Look for it via furusato nozei (hometown tax donation) and online shops. Check the GI mark and the place of origin before you buy.

Omi Hino Hinona Turnip was registered as a Geographical Indication on October 21, 2022 (Registration No. 122). The registered producer group is Green Ohmi Agricultural Cooperative.