Butterbur sprouts signaling the coming of spring

※This article was published at March 2015.※

Butterbur sprouts poking out of the soil after the snow has melted. 
Finding butterbur sprouts coming up from between the snow when the temperature is still low and you can feel the cold of winter will give you a wonderful feeling, like that of finding a treasure. 
Butterbur sprouts that come out when they sense the immediate coming of spring having a very charming appearance.

Butterbur sprouts are the first edible wild plants to appear in spring. 
Butterbur sprouts are called bakke in the Tohoku region, and people in this region have the custom of making bakke miso by mixing butterbur sprouts with miso and using it as a filling for rice balls.

In addition, butterbur sprouts in early spring that have yet to become big just before blooming are said to be perfect for tempura. 
The point is picking butterbur sprouts with firm buds and leaves that are still closed. 
The energy contained in young buds produces a unique aroma and bitter taste, rouses your body when it has been made stiff by the cold, and also improves the metabolism. 
While it has become easier to find butterbur sprouts at supermarkets recently, they are somewhat smallish compared to those that grow in the wild.

Finding butterbur sprouts on the side of the road makes you fully aware that it will soon be spring.