Vegetables - Vegetables

Japanese: 野菜 - やさい

Refers to mainly herbaceous plants cultivated and used as side dishes. Food commonly referred to as green vegetables or sai used to be classified as hosai, sansai, yasai, and suisai depending on where they grew. However, they gradually came to be divided into cultivated and wild plants, with the former officially referred to as sosai in government jargon, while the general public generally called them vegetables, and the latter as yamasai. Recently, even in government jargon, the term yasai has been dropped and replaced with yasai, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' vegetable testing stations were merged with tea testing stations and renamed as vegetable and tea testing stations, and in 2001 became the Vegetable and Tea Research Institute under the jurisdiction of the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO).

[Hoshikawa Kiyochika February 17, 2021]

In 2016, it became the Vegetable and Flower Research Division and the Fruit and Tea Research Division of the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization.

[Editorial Department, February 17, 2021]

The world's peoples and vegetables

The types of vegetables vary considerably among the world's ethnic groups, depending on their dietary habits, especially their staple foods. However, as the world's cultures become more commonplace, dietary habits are gradually becoming less distinctive, and many types of vegetables are becoming common around the world. For example, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, carrots, and potatoes are now staple vegetables for almost all peoples around the world. However, there are still many vegetables that are extremely unique to each ethnic group. For example, Japanese arrowheads, lotus flowers, bamboo shoots, and burdock are not eaten as vegetables by European peoples. In Chinese cuisine, there are also many vegetables that are only enjoyed by Chinese people, such as wild rice, water chestnut, and Chinese cabbage.

[Hoshikawa Kiyochika February 17, 2021]

Japanese people and vegetables

There are 200 to 300 types of vegetables in the world, but excluding those used in very localized areas or special ones, there are not that many. In Japan, about 150 types of vegetables are eaten throughout the year. This is far more than the European countries with the largest number of vegetable varieties, France with about 100 types, Germany with about 80 types, and America with about 95 types. In Japan, there are only a few types of native wild plants that have been cultivated as vegetables, such as butterbur, myoga, udo, and wasabi, but since the Yayoi period when agriculture began, various vegetables have been introduced from mainland China and various parts of Southeast Asia, increasing the variety. These are the so-called Japanese vegetables. Furthermore, during the Edo period, and especially during the Meiji period, European vegetables were actively introduced. These are called Western vegetables or Western vegetables. The Japanese archipelago stretches from north to south, and there are large geographical and seasonal variations in climate, making it possible to cultivate vegetables from all over the world. Also, the Japanese are open to Japanese, Western and Chinese food, so a wide variety of vegetables are used. These are likely reasons why Japan has the world's largest variety of vegetables. Recently, the cultivation of wild plants and mushrooms has progressed, and the variety of vegetables is on the rise. In Japan, daikon radishes, Chinese cabbage, and green onions are widely produced and consumed as side dishes to go with the staple food of rice, but as food becomes more westernized, consumption of Western vegetables such as lettuce, bell peppers, tomatoes and onions is increasing, and consumption of traditional Japanese vegetables is on the decline.

[Hoshikawa Kiyochika February 17, 2021]

Classification

Vegetables are classified according to the part of the plant that is used:

(1) Fruit vegetables: These are vegetables that use fruit. There are many varieties of Cucurbitaceae crops such as cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons, and melons, and Solanaceae crops such as eggplants and tomatoes. There are also many varieties of legumes, such as kidney beans, peas, broad beans, and soybeans (edamame). Other varieties include okra and strawberries.

(2) Root vegetables: Radishes, turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, burdock, parsnips, etc. that use their roots. In addition, there are arrowheads, taro, potatoes, and lotus roots, which use underground tubers, as well as onions, scallions, lilies, leeks, etc., whose leaves have swelled or changed shape underground (the above four types are bulbs).

(3) Leafy vegetables: There are many leafy vegetables from the Brassicaceae family, such as cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Japanese mustard spinach, Chinese mustard greens, and mustard greens. There are also many varieties from the Apiaceae family, such as mitsuba, celery, and parsley, and from the Asteraceae family, such as lettuce, butterbur, and garland chrysanthemum. There are also many varieties, such as spinach, Swiss chard, cranesbill, and morning glory.

(4) Flower and stem vegetables: Vegetables whose flowers are eaten include cauliflower, broccoli, artichokes, chrysanthemums, etc. Vegetables whose stems are eaten include burdock, asparagus, bamboo shoots, and kohlrabi, which has a swollen stem.

(5) Spicy vegetables and others Among spices, there are many so-called herbs such as dill, chervil, and many other plants of the parsley family, as well as watercress, sage, marjoram, basil, and many more. Vegetables that contain spices include chili peppers (fruit), ginger, horseradish (tuber), and garlic (bulb). Japanese-style spice vegetables include knotweed, sea laurel, shiso, Japanese pepper, myoga, and wasabi.

In addition, most beans are treated as grains when fully ripe, and as vegetables when unripe. Unripe corn is also classified as a vegetable.

[Hoshikawa Kiyochika February 17, 2021]

Vegetables as food

Vegetables, which are mainly starch-based grains or side dishes to meat, provide nutritional vitamins and minerals, and have the effect of neutralizing the acidity of meat and grains with their alkaline properties. The fiber contained in vegetables also plays an important role in health, such as promoting digestion and absorption and improving bowel movements. Many vegetables were once considered medicinal herbs, and in this respect they also have a great effect on health. Vegetables have been used as fresh foods, but today, with the development of processing techniques such as dried vegetables, freezing, and canning, their preservation properties have increased, and with advances in cultivation techniques, their seasonal nature has disappeared, and many are available year-round.

[Hoshikawa Kiyochika February 17, 2021]

"Vegetable Gardening Special Topics" by Kumazawa Saburo (1967, Yokendou) " "A Colored Illustrated Guide to Japanese Vegetables" by Takashima Shiro et al. (1964, Hoikusha) "Cultural History of Things and Humans 43: Vegetables - Genealogy of Native Varieties" by Aoba Takashi (1981, Hosei University Press)

[Reference] | Wild vegetables | Chinese vegetables

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

副食物として栽培・利用される、主として草本性植物をいう。食料として一般に青物(あおもの)、また菜(さい)とよばれるものは、古くは圃菜(ほさい)、山菜(さんさい)、野菜、水菜(すいさい)と生育する場所により区別されていた。しかし、しだいに栽培されるものと野生のものとに分けて、前者を公式的表現、たとえば官公庁用語などでは蔬菜(そさい)、民間では一般に野菜とよぶようになり、後者を山菜というようになった。最近では官公庁用語でも蔬菜の名称を廃して野菜というようになり、農林水産省などの蔬菜試験場も茶業試験場と統合、野菜・茶業試験場と改称され、さらに2001年（平成13）独立行政法人農業技術研究機構（農研機構）所轄の野菜茶業研究所となった。

［星川清親　2021年2月17日］

　2016年には農研機構の野菜花き研究部門と果樹茶業研究部門になった。

［編集部　2021年2月17日］

世界の諸民族と野菜

野菜は、世界の民族によって、その食生活の形、とくに主食の違いによって種類がかなり異なっている。しかし世界の文化の共通化が進むにつれて、食生活もしだいに特性を少なくし、野菜の種類も世界共通のものが多くなってきている。たとえばキャベツ、レタス、トマト、キュウリ、タマネギ、ニンジン、ジャガイモなどは、いまやほとんど世界中の民族にとって主要野菜となっている。しかし一方で民族によってきわめて固有な野菜もまだ少なくない。たとえば日本のクワイ、ハス、タケノコ、ウドなどはヨーロッパ諸民族は野菜として食べない。中国の料理にもマコモ、オオクログワイ、キンサイなど、中国人だけが好む野菜が数多くある。

［星川清親　2021年2月17日］

日本人と野菜

野菜の種類は世界全体で200～300あるが、きわめて局地的に利用されるものや特殊なものを除くとそれほど多くはない。日本では1年を通じて約150種の野菜が食べられている。これは、ヨーロッパでもっとも野菜の種類の多いフランスの約100種、ドイツの約80種、さらにアメリカの約95種に比べると、飛び抜けて多い。日本では日本固有の野生植物から野菜化されたものは、フキ、ミョウガ、ウド、ワサビなど、わずかの種類しかないが、農業が始まった弥生(やよい)時代以来、中国大陸や東南アジア各地から、野菜をいろいろ導入して種類を増やした。これらがいわゆる和食の野菜である。またさらに江戸時代、とくに明治時代にヨーロッパの野菜類を積極的に導入した。それらが西洋野菜または洋菜類とよばれるものである。日本列島は南北に長く連なり、地理的および季節的に気候の変異が大きいので、世界各地の野菜が栽培できること、また日本人が和食、洋食、中華食と食生活に開放的であるためにさまざまな野菜が利用されることなどが、日本が世界一の野菜の種類をもつに至った原因であろう。最近は山菜やキノコ類の栽培化が進み、野菜の種類はさらに増加の傾向にある。日本では主食の米食にあったおかずとして、ダイコン、ハクサイ、ネギなどの生産・消費が多いが、食の洋風化が進むにつれ、レタス、ピーマン、トマト、タマネギなど洋菜類の消費が伸び、伝統的な和風の野菜の消費は減る傾向にある。

［星川清親　2021年2月17日］

分類

野菜は利用する植物体の部分によって次のように分類されている。

(1)果菜類　果実を用いるもので、キュウリ、カボチャ、スイカ、メロンなどウリ科作物と、ナス、トマトなどナス科作物が多い。マメ科もインゲンマメ、エンドウ、ソラマメ、ダイズ（枝豆）など種類が多い。ほかにオクラ、イチゴなど。

(2)根菜類　根を利用するダイコン、カブ、ニンジン、サツマイモ、ゴボウ、パースニップなど。また地下部の塊茎を用いるクワイ、サトイモ、ジャガイモや地下茎のハス（蓮根(れんこん)）のほか、地中で葉が肥大したり変形したタマネギ、ラッキョウ、ユリ、ネギなど（以上4種は鱗茎(りんけい)）がある。

(3)葉菜(ようさい)類　葉を食べるものにはキャベツ、ハクサイ、コマツナ、タイサイ、カラシナなどアブラナ科類が多い。ミツバ、セロリ、パセリなどセリ科、レタス、フキ、シュンギクなどキク科のものもいろいろある。ほかにホウレンソウ、フダンソウやツルナ、ツルムラサキなど種類が多い。

(4)花(か)・茎菜(けいさい)類　花を食べる野菜にはカリフラワー、ブロッコリー、アーティチョーク、ショクヨウギクなどがある。茎を食べるものにはウド、アスパラガス、タケノコなど、また茎が肥大したコールラビーなどがある。

(5)香辛料野菜その他　香辛料のなかでいわゆるハーブ（香草）としてはイノンド（ディル）、チャービルなど多くのセリ科植物、さらにウォータークレス（クレソン）、セージ、マヨラナ（マジョラム）、バジルなどきわめて多くのものがある。スパイスをとる野菜としてはトウガラシ（果実）、ショウガ、ワサビダイコン（セイヨウワサビ、塊茎）、ニンニク（鱗茎）などがある。日本的な香辛料野菜にはタデ、ハマボウフウ、シソ、サンショウ、ミョウガ、ワサビなどがある。

　なお、豆類の多くは完熟したものは穀物として扱い、未熟のものは野菜として扱う。トウモロコシなども未熟果用は野菜に分類される。

［星川清親　2021年2月17日］

食品としての野菜

野菜は、デンプンを主とする穀物、あるいは肉食の副食物として、栄養的にはビタミンやミネラルを補給し、酸性に傾く肉・穀食をアルカリ性で中和する効果がある。また野菜に含まれる繊維質は消化・吸収を助長し、便通をよくするなど健康上に重要な働きをする。野菜のなかには、昔は薬草とされていたものも多く、この点でも保健上の効果が大きい。野菜は生鮮食料として用いられてきたが、現在では乾燥野菜や冷凍、缶詰など加工技術の発達により保存性が増し、また栽培技術の進歩により季節的な性格が失われて、周年供給されるものが多くなった。

［星川清親　2021年2月17日］

『熊沢三郎著『蔬菜園芸各論』（1967・養賢堂）』▽『高島四郎他著『原色日本野菜図鑑』（1964・保育社）』▽『青葉高著『ものと人間の文化史43　野菜――在来品種の系譜』（1981・法政大学出版局）』

[参照項目] | 山菜 | 中国野菜

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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