View source for Myoga

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{For|the Inuyasha character|Myoga (character)}}
{{Redirect|Japanese ginger|the ginger used in Japanese cuisine|Pickled ginger (disambiguation){{!}}Pickled ginger}}
{{speciesbox
|name = Myōga
|image = ミョウガ(茗荷)(Zingiber mioga)-花 (5852495693).jpg
|genus = Zingiber
|species =  mioga
|authority = ([[Carl Peter Thunberg|Thunb.]]) [[William Roscoe|Roscoe]]
|synonyms_ref = <ref name="cloves"/>
|synonyms = *''Amomum mioga'' <small>Thunb.</small> 
*''Zingiber mijooka'' <small>Siebold, spelling variation</small>
*''Zingiber sjooka'' <small>Siebold</small>
*''Zingiber mioga'' var. ''variegatum'' <small>Makino</small>
*''Zingiber echuanense'' <small>Y.K.Yang</small>
}}
[[File:Leiden University Library - Seikei Zusetsu vol. 24, page 037 - 茗荷 - Zingiber mioga (Thunb.) Roscoe, 1804.jpg|thumb|Ginger leaves, illustration from the Japanese agricultural encyclopedia [[Seikei Zusetsu]] (1804)]]
{{nihongo|'''Myoga'''|[[wikt:茗荷|茗荷]]|'''myōga'''|also '''myoga ginger'''}} or '''Japanese ginger''' is the species '''''Zingiber mioga''''' in the family [[Zingiberaceae]]. It is a deciduous herbaceous [[Perennial plant|perennial]] native to [[Japan]], [[China]], and the southern part of [[Korea]].<ref name="cloves">[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=273338 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]</ref><ref>[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200028463 Flora of China v 24 p 332, <big>蘘荷</big> rang he, ''Zingiber mioga'' (Thunberg) Roscoe, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 8: 348. 1807. ]</ref><ref name=Cole14>Cole TCH, Nürnberger S [https://www.rhs.org.uk/about-the-rhs/publications/magazines/The-Plantsman/2014-issues/december/zingiber-mioga-and-its-cultivars "Zingiber mioga and its Cultivars,"] ''The Plantsman. Royal Horticultural Society.'' December 2014, 4: 226-229.</ref> Only its  edible flower buds and flavorful shoots are used in cooking.<ref>Matsuhisa, Nobu and Mark Edwards. (2007). [https://books.google.com/books?id=wPMvfj0W7isC&pg=PA252&dq= ''Nobu West,'' p. 252].</ref>  The flower buds are finely shredded and used in [[Japanese cuisine]] as a garnish for ''[[miso]]'' soup, ''[[sunomono]]'', and dishes such as roasted eggplant. In [[Korean cuisine]], the flower buds are skewered alternately with pieces of meat and then are pan-fried.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}

==Cultivation==
A traditional crop in Japan, myoga ginger has been introduced to cultivation in [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] for export to the Japanese market.<ref name=Cole14/>

As a woodland plant, myoga has specific shade requirements for its growth. It is frost-tolerant to {{convert|−16|C|F|0}}, and possibly colder.<ref name=Cole14/>

Three [[Variegation|variegated]] [[cultivar]]s are known: 'Dancing Crane', 'Silver Arrow' and 'White Feather'. They are less cold-hardy than unvariegated plants.<ref name=Cole14/>

== Medicinal properties ==
Myoga has shown promise for potentially [[Carcinogen|anticarcinogenic]] properties.<ref>Ha Won Kim ''et al.''  [http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/ars.2005.7.1621 "Suppressive Effects of Mioga Ginger and Ginger Constituents on Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species Generation, and the Expression of Inducible Pro-Inflammatory Genes in Macrophages,"] ''Antioxidants & Redox Signaling.'' November/December 2005, 7(11-12): 1621-1629; retrieved 2013-8-4.</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200" style="font-size:95%; line-height:120%">
File:Zingiber mioga.jpg|Plants
File:R0016749.JPG|Fruits with red interiors and black seeds with a whitish [[aril]]
File:Three-myoga-inapack-aug2-2015.jpg|Buds prepared for sale
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links ==
*{{Wikispecies inline|Zingiber mioga}}
*{{Commons category inline|Zingiber mioga}}

{{Japanese food and drink}}
{{Ginger Plant}}
{{Herbs & spices}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1196818}}

[[Category:Flora of China]]
[[Category:Flora of Japan]]
[[Category:Flora of Korea]]
[[Category:Inflorescence vegetables]]
[[Category:Japanese cuisine]]
[[Category:Japanese vegetables]]
[[Category:Stem vegetables]]
[[Category:Zingiber]]