Ono Mame (Broad Beans) (Kagawa): season, origin and where to buy

Seasonal calendar

Fresh green beans are in season around May, with dried beans following later.

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

Compared to ordinary Issun Soramame, Ono Mame beans are characteristically small and easy to chew because they have thin and soft skin. Ono Mame beans have been valued as an ingredient in Oshinukizushi, a local dish of the area and "soy sauce beans," and since their production was revived in recent years, they have been adopted for school lunches at local elementary and junior high schools. In this context, Ono Mame is an essential vegetable in the area.

Link with the production area

The producing area is blessed with a warm climate and well-draining soil. Sanuki Nagasaya Soramame beans have long been cultivated during the off-season of rice cultivation. Since the early stage of the Showa period, the broad beans have been recognized and gained popularity as "Ono Mame". In the Heisei era, it was on the verge of extinction due to a shift in varieties, but in 2013, the local community council took the lead in reviving Ono Mame through local production for local consumption activities, collaborating with educational institutions and receiving administrative support.

Characteristics and link with the area: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website (https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/intel/gi_act/register/250701_7.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.

Production focuses on local consumption, so it is mainly sold locally.

FAQ

A long-pod broad bean grown around Ono in Kagawa-cho, Takamatsu, registered both as dried beans and as fresh green beans. Smaller than common Issun broad beans, with thin, soft skins, they have long been used in the local dishes oshinuki-zushi and shoyu-mame (soy sauce beans).

Ono Mame (Broad Beans) is produced in Ono and Terai in Kagawa-cho, and Terai-cho, Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture.

Ono Mame (Broad Beans) is in season (harvested or shipped) in May. Fresh green beans are in season around May, with dried beans following later.

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

Ono Mame (Broad Beans) was registered as a Geographical Indication on January 29, 2024 (Registration No. 141). The registered producer group is Ono Mame Project.