Not often seen but spectacular tokyo bekana mustards have been called the japanese version of chinese cabbage. The beautiful lime green micro provides a striking contrast to the deep greens of most of our crops. It has a nice crunch and sweeter flavor that gives you a nice flavor boost in your microgreen arsenal.

Recently chosen as a leafy green for space travel, tokyo bekana is introduced in a ​​recent blog entry from NASA which highlighted the choice and the initiation of grow trials in space. The amazing plant was chosen by NASA since it is like a lettuce or cabbage but fast growing and contains a potent array of nutrients to provide for life in space. 

Here is NASA's take on it, "For the first time, a Chinese cabbage variety named Tokyo Bekana will be grown in space. The cabbage was chosen as a good candidate because it is a quick growing leafy green that is rated highly from a nutritional and taste perspective. "

Our new hydroponic kits will allow you to grow and taste this outstanding microgreen right in your own home, space travel not required!

Would like to share our recent blog posting on our Urbafresh website regarding a true asian superfood that is not commonly seen here. 

​"Besides being a spectacular looking microgreen, Red Komatsuna or japanese mustard spinach is a great tasting rich nutrient source. Long known in asia, the komatsuna is actually part of the brassica family so contains many of the cancer fighting compounds but also with the beautiful coloring providing even more compounds. The brassica family is prized for its potential cancer fighting effects from the presence of glucosinolates and the added anthocyanin boost from the coloration. Komatsuna itself in its mature form is nutrient dense and rich in beta carotene, calcium and Vitamins A, B2, C, K on top of the cancer fighters.

An interesting insight into its health benefits can be seen by looking at asian use of the komatsuna for health benefits. Here is an excerpt from a "Shizuoka Gourmet" blog entry from 2010 highlighting komatsuna.

"HEALTH FACTS:
-Combined with dried sardine whiting, or with sakura ebi/Cherry blossom shrimps, or with scallops, or with konbu/seaweed, helps preserve human bones, and activate rejuvenation.
-Combined with tomatoes, or with wakame seaweed, or with carrots, or with green chili peppers, povides for extra stamina, and helps prevent cancer.
-Combined with rice vinegar, or with orange, or with lemon, or with strawberries, helps prevent stress, and sore back/articulations, and helps swift recovery.
-Combined with konnyaku/devil’s tongue tuber, or with mushrooms, or with celery, or with bamboo shoots, helps combat obesity and prevent high blood pressure. Helps lower down blood cholesterol."

Our Red Komatsuna Microgreen Kit provides a hydronically grown sampling of this "new" (actually very old) super food.

See our new Kit offering now live on etsy.