Tsuruna / New Zealand spinach

Tetragonia tetragonioides

For years, I have tried to grow this vegetable and repeatedly failed (our unheated greenhouse seems not hot enough or the growing period in our region is too short). I always thought it was tsurumurasaki (Malabar/Indian spinach; Basella alba), which resembles tsurna in taste and texture, and wondered why it didn't climb up the support as Malabar spinach always did at my parents' garden in Japan. One day, upon noticing its English name (New Zealand spinach) when I saw it at a Chinese grocery store, I looked it up and found out that there were tsuruna and tsurumurasaki, and these two vegetables were totally different plants despite all the similar properties they share. The life is full of discoveries. 

Tsuruna grows horizontally, and nowadays it is said to be more actively used as an ornamental groundcover instead of as a vegetable in Japan. Some sources say that it grows wild (possibly escaped from cultivation) in sandy areas along the coast from the southern part of Hokkaido onward to the south and was traditionally used as stomach disease remedy. Perhaps I regarded this plant as a weed when I lived in Japan. I have no recollection of seeing or recognizing it as a vegetable or medicinal herb.

Tsuruna's common English name, New Zealand spinach, comes from its 18th century introduction to England; Captain Cook (1728-1779) brought it back from New Zealand. Although many people say it is similar to spinach, the leaves and stems are much thicker and juicier, and it is more nutritious. It also produces thick, viscous fluid when cooked -- yes, a sign of health benefits that come from mucin, which is also found in satoimo baby taro root, renkon lotus root, nagaimo Chinese yam, kombu seaweed, okra, natto fermented soybeans, etc. Mucin in respiratory and digestive organs protect cells from external stimulation such as dryness, digestive enzymes, microbes and pH level changes.

Tsuruna is also rich in β-carotene (2700 μg/100 g), Vitamin B (0.38 mg), Vitamin C (22 mg),  Vitamin K (310 μg), niacin (1.0 mg), pantothenic acid (0.46 mg), potassium (300 mg), iron  (3.0 mg), magnesium (35 mg), and mangan (0.81 mg). Moreover, it contains Vitamin E, which, together with carotene, is believed to be effective against cancer and aging.  Vitamin K helps to promote bone formation. It also often functions as a coenzyme to coagulate blood or prevent bleeding.

In our area (Pacific Northwest), tsuruna is available at Asian (Chinese, Vietnamese) grocery stores. It tends to spoil faster than many other leafy greens, so always buy a very fresh bunch and finish it up quickly.

15 kcal/100 g; 93.8% water, 1.8% protein, 0.1% fat, 2.8% carbohydrate, 1.3% ash


Recipes with tsuruna

• Tsuruna to shimeji no oisutaasoosu itame / stir-fried New Zealand spinach and shimeji mushrooms with oyster sauce
• Tsuruna to enoki no karashijoyu-ae / New Zealand spinach and enoki mushrooms in Japanese mustard soy sauce dressing
• Tsuruna no sujoyu-ae / New Zealand spinach in vinegar soy sauce
• Tsuruna to hotate no karashisumiso-zoe / New Zealand spinach and scallops with mustard-vinegar-miso dressing

Try tsuruna in the following recipes

• Okara tamago karee-aji to horenso, komatsuna no bataa-joyu itame / stir-fried spinach, komatsuna and egg with soybean pulp and curry, soy sauce butter flavor 
  
• Kankoku mitsuba no shiraae / cham namul with tofu dressing
  
• Horenso, moyashi, sumookusaamon no ohitashi / spinach, mung bean sprouts and smoked salmon marinated in light broth
  
• Saishin no karashi oisutaasoosu-ae / yu choy sum in Japanese mustard and oyster sauce dressing
  
• Kiriboshi-daikon to saishin no misoshiru / miso soup with dried julienned daikon radish and yu choy sum
• Sakana to saishin no tamagoyaki / omelet with fish and yu choy sum
• Nanohana no namuru / field mustard namul (gochujang flavor) 
• Hotate to komatsuna no karamiae / scallops and komatsuna in spicy sauce
• Nanohana no karashi-ae / field mustard raab in Japanese mustard broth
  

(Last updated: July 20, 2017)

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