Freshly-harvested myoga gingers. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

It is time to taste myoga gingers in Rugao, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province.

Myoga ginger, or Japanese ginger, is a deciduous herbaceous perennial native to Japan, China, and the southern part of Korea. Only its edible flower buds and flavorful shoots are used in cooking.

The plant is rich in amino acids, protein and cellulose. Freshly-harvested myoga ginger looks like budded lotus flowers with a faint smell of traditional Chinese medicine.

A plate of stir-fried myoga ginger with green soy beans. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

Here are some home-cooked dishes using myoga ginger.

Stir-fried myoga ginger with green soy beans, eggs, or cured meat

Now is a great time to eat green soy beans, and the easiest way to make a delicious dish is to use fresh and seasonal ingredients. Just stir fry the clean green soy beans and myoga ginger with olive oil and you're done.

You can also replace the green soy beans with eggs or cured meat. But remember, the eggs and cured meat need to be cooked before the myoga ginger.

Shredded myoga gingers with sauce

Add some salt to shredded myoga ginger and leave it to stand for at least 10 minutes to remove the water. Then mix it with some mashed garlic, bruised ginger, salt, vinegar, white sugar, salt, and sesame oil.