Premium chefs of Kumamoto

Chef Tominaga has high praise for Takaranouen’s vegetables: “they are brimming with energy, and they are just delicious.” These vegetables are grown in Toyono, Uki City, by Yasuyuki and Wakana Takada, who specialize in heirloom vegetable farming. The secret to their strength is in the seeds.

The couple moved to Kumamoto from Tokyo 12 years ago. After studying organic farming under Yoshimitsu Morita, an organic farmer from Ogawa, Uki City, they took advantage of an organic farming training program and began their agricultural career in Toyono. Another important encounter they had was with Masatoshi Iwasaki, who has been saving seeds and protecting native cultivars in Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture, for over 40 years.

“We met Mr. Iwasaki at a seed and seedling exchange event in the summer of 2012. We were blown away by the diversity and flavor of his vegetables,” says Yasuyuki. Although they had heard of heirloom vegetables, this encounter with them had such a profound impact that the two became fully dedicated to cultivating these vegetables and collecting their seeds.

Heirloom vegetables (open-pollinated native cultivars) are vegetables that are true to seed. Ever year, their seeds are collected and planted to grow new vegetables in the next season. The vegetables available through mass distribution are mostly F1 (first-generation hybrids), which are enhanced by crossing different varieties. As the features of the next generation can vary, seeds must be purchased every year.

However, it is not as simple as simply collecting the seeds. Wakana explains the importance of selecting the “mother plant”:

“For example, from 100 harvested daikon, we select 10 based on their color and shape. We replant them, let them flower, and collect their seeds.” Takaranouen specializes in open-pollinated native cultivars, and self-produces about 30 types of seeds annually.

“There are over 100 native cultivars of daikon in Japan. Among them, we grow the ones we like best. Considering the harvest time, we grow more than five cultivars of daikon—including Onnayama Sangatsu Daikon from Saga, Aka Daikon from Itsuki Village, and Mera Daikon from Miyazaki. They are different in terms of taste and texture—velvety and crunchy or soft and flaky. We get to experience how delicious each variety is.”

Peg’s Chef Tominaga also has high praise for the “kaleidoscopic vegetables of Takaranouen.” He is interested in the varieties and history of the vegetables he receives and enjoys finding ways to use them in his recipes. “I had thought the vegetables, with their mild flavors, would only be playing minor roles. But when I went to the restaurant, they’d been transformed beyond my wildest imagination—it was incredible,” says Wakana. Be sure to experience a dish born from mutual respect between the chef and producers at Peg.

Store information

Takaranouen
Address: Toyono, Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Vegetable distributors: Yuuki Seikatsu Farmer’s Market, Foody One
Online orders: takaranouen@gmail.com
Official social media: X (formerly Twitter) @takaranouen