Mizu-tataki Pounded Wild Greens

Quick answer

Total time: 43 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Mizu-tataki is an Iwate side dish from the Ou and Kitakami mountain ranges.

The red bases of mizu stems are pounded and minced until sticky like tororo, then dressed with miso, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Mizu is formally uwabamiso, a wild green that grows in colonies beside clean mountain streams. The deeper red the base, the stronger its viscosity after pounding, while its water-rich stem keeps both crunch and slipperiness. It can be harvested from May through October, with tender spring and early-summer stems especially valued. Use only cultivated or commercially distributed mizu verified for food, not unidentified foraged greens. Pound inside a thick food-safe bag to contain splashes, keep the finished mixture cold, and eat it the same day.

Ingredients (10 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
verified edible red mizu stem bases	200	g
miso	50	g
sugar	4	g
mirin	10	ml
soy sauce	5	ml
toasted nori	1	sheet
rinsed shredded leek	30	g

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Buy mizu cultivated and distributed for food, store at 4°C or colder, and prepare the same day.

Break off 200g red bases about 5cm from the roots and remove thin outer skin and fine roots.
2

Prep

Wash the red bases three times under running water until soil is gone and dry with clean cloth.

A little skin may remain, but discard spoiled or soft pieces.
3

Step

Place mizu in one layer in a thick food-safe bag, press out air, and seal.

Pound evenly with a rolling pin for 5 minutes until stems flatten and release juice.
4

Prep

Transfer mizu and juices to a sanitized board and mince continuously for 8 to 10 minutes.

Gather and chop repeatedly until very fine and stringy when lifted.
5

Season

Stir 50g miso, 4g sugar, 10ml mirin, and 5ml soy sauce to 80°C and hold 1 minute, then cool below 10°C over ice water.

Mix the cold dressing evenly with minced mizu.
6

Finish

Shred 1 toasted nori sheet and squeeze 30g rinsed leek dry.

Divide mizu among 10 small bowls, top with nori and leek, and serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers at 4°C or colder and consume within 24 hours.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Only 200g red mizu stem bases
Finish cue: A little skin may remain, but discard spoiled or soft pieces.
Avoid this: Do not identify look-alike wild plants yourself.
Storage and reheating: Buy mizu cultivated and distributed for food, store at 4°C or colder, and prepare the same day.