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Seeds not solely present us with meals to eat, however they symbolize the long run and permit us to mirror on our historical past. They’re heirlooms, a connection to our ancestors and their tales. On this weblog, we rejoice tales of Asian tradition and connection to nature and meals via seeds, with YC Miller from Kitazawa Seed Firm.
YC walks us via the significance of preserving our heritage via seeds with heartwarming tales from Kitazawa clients on how a easy vegetable can carry a lot household historical past and pleasure.
This weblog is impressed by Episode 152 of Bloom and Develop Radio Podcast, the place host Maria Failla interviewed YC Miller from Kitazawa Seed Firm. 
How Rising Meals Can Reconnect Us with Our Heritage
YC didn’t develop up rising any Korean greens. Coming to them as an grownup has performed an enormous half in how she has reconnected with their heritage.
Fifteen years in the past, YC went on a heritage journey to Korea. For a portion of the journey, she labored on a farm. She remembers that have as one of many first occasions she understood what roots actually meant. It actually spoke to YC’s soul about who she was as an individual and created a deep sense of belonging.
That second served as an awakening of their heritage, but in addition a reconnection with meals and the vegetation, greens, and agricultural practices that went together with that. Ever since then, it’s been a relentless studying course of via their work at Kitazawa Seed Firm.
Many Individuals, descendants of immigrants, share the same expertise in reconnecting with their culturally important greens and tales of households bringing seeds over from their residence nations. With their work at Kitazawa Seed Firm, YC says it’s been a pleasure to have the ability to rejoice and honor that connection, and to be a supply of seeds and meals that assist foster that connection.
How Two Brothers Constructed Kitazawa Seed Firm
Kitazawa Seed Firm was began by two brothers in 1917. It’s the oldest Asian seed firm in the USA, specializing in Asian varieties. The brothers have been promoting seeds to Japanese farmers in California, and likewise offering conventional Japanese vegetable seeds to residence gardeners who have been rising them for his or her households and communities.
From 1942 to 1945 Kitazawa Seed Firm was compelled to desert the enterprise as a result of WWII. The Kitazawa household, together with all different Japanese-Individuals, have been moved and put into Relocation Camps throughout that point. The brothers restarted the enterprise after the conflict. A lot of their clients had relocated as a result of land possession modifications. That is when Kitazawa started promoting and transport seeds throughout the USA and actually flourishing. It has continued the custom of promoting each to industrial farmers and to the house gardener.
A significant purpose of Kitazawa has been to herald seeds which can be in any other case inaccessible. It began as an organization that centered totally on Japanese greens, as a result of that was primarily the shopper base. With waves of immigration from Asia to the USA, there’s been a altering demand for various sorts of Asian greens. Now Kitazawa has expanded its choices to have the ability to present greens for many totally different communities.
Preserving Seed Range and the Immigrant Expertise
Kitazawa strives to offer numerous hybrid seed varieties which can be dependable, however additionally they worth open pollinated varieties. In case you have been to develop an open pollinated squash selection in California and develop that very same selection in New York, saving seeds 12 months after 12 months, these seeds would adapt to the totally different microclimates they have been grown in. Whereas they’re nonetheless the identical number of squash, sure traits would emerge, making them higher fitted to every area.
An fascinating parallel to notice is the similarity within the seed and the house grower who initially introduced it to the USA. Seeds come from a distinct homeland and tackle the soil, the air, and the sunshine from their new residence. As seeds thrive, they proceed to vary and evolve. Much like the immigrant expertise in adapting to your new atmosphere.
As residence gardeners, we could not assume a lot about saving seeds. Nevertheless it’s one thing YC extremely encourages us to do to create extra domestically tailored, resilient seed varieties.
The place and How Does Kitazawa Supply Their Seed Varieties?
Loads of Kitazawa’s seeds are imported from Asia, the place they’ve been working with most of the identical dependable growers for many years. There are plans in place to think about extra home manufacturing, particularly contemplating provide chain points and transport. There are superb individuals doing small batch seed manufacturing in the USA which can be doing unbelievable work, particularly with landrace varieties. Landrace seeds have advanced traits naturally over time in response to rising circumstances like pests, local weather, and illnesses in a selected location.
Kitazawa not solely considers a specific selection, but in addition a excessive customary of high quality when bringing in seeds. They develop out new varieties first to allow them to make sure the well being and vigor of the seeds they provide to clients. The method can take a number of years to not solely supply the seed, however to additionally make sure the integrity of the seed packet they promote.
What Are the Variations Between Japanese, Chinese language, and Filipino Eggplants?
Considered one of Kitazawa’s new varieties is a Filipino eggplant. They’ve had buyer requests for years to hold a Filipino eggplant of their seed choices. Whereas they’ve numerous Japanese and Chinese language eggplant varieties, none of them have been fairly proper for his or her Filipino clientele.
Historically, individuals consider a Japanese eggplant as being lengthy, slender, and purple. Usually the Japanese eggplants even have a purple calyx, which is the a part of the eggplant that attaches to the stem. They’re additionally fairly agency with low moisture content material, and sometimes used for pickles.
Chinese language eggplants usually have a inexperienced calyx and are lighter in colour than the Japanese eggplants. Their texture is a bit creamier too.
The Filipino eggplant Kitazawa is sourcing is a greenish purple with a inexperienced and purple calyx. Usually, Filipino eggplants are extra tender and a bit candy.
YC’s Beneficial Kitazawa Varieties for Rookies
One of many nice issues about Asian greens is there’s such an enormous range. There’s something for everybody from the start gardener to the extra skilled gardener and everybody in between.
For people who find themselves simply beginning out, a number of the best vegetation to get began are Asian herbs. There’s a enormous number of Asian herbs from bunching onions that you should utilize in just about every part to Thai basil and the entire totally different sorts of perilla.
After which there are sorts that YC would think about huge payoff varieties. With a crop like peas, you may eat the shoots and the peas as soon as they kind. They’re simple to develop and also you get numerous greens to your effort. Japanese cucumbers are one other fantastic possibility and pretty simple to develop with a trellis.
Kitazawa has an enormous variety of pak choi (or bok choy) out there that may be simply grown in a container. They’ve a bunch of smaller varieties for small house growers. It’s a chilly hardy vegetable you may develop in Spring and Fall.
If that each one sounds overwhelming, Kitazawa is all the time completely satisfied to offer seed suggestions. You may give them a name and so they’d be completely satisfied to assist help you.
YC’s Favourite Recipe to Cook dinner
Korean perilla is a Korean herb, and a really significant plant to YC personally, so it’s their go-to plant. She makes use of it in two methods: one, as a sort of lettuce wrap and two, she pickles it!
It’s actually fantastic as a pickle or as a kimchi. Kitazawa carries most of the perilla varieties, together with Japanese shiso, a Vietnamese selection, and a Korean selection. They’re additionally very simple to develop in containers!
To study extra about totally different Asian recipes, try the Kitazawa Recipe Weblog.
Go to Kitazawa Seed Firm
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About Bloom & Develop Radio Podcast
Bloom & Develop Radio Podcast helps individuals look after vegetation efficiently and domesticate extra pleasure of their lives. Host Maria Failla, a former plant killer turned completely satisfied plant girl, interviews consultants on numerous elements of plant care, and encourages listeners to not solely look after vegetation, however study to look after themselves alongside the way in which.
About Our Interviewee
YC Miller works for Kitazawa Seed Firm, which focuses on providing the best high quality Asian seeds to please the various palates of their clients. They provide over 500 seed varieties that produce dento yasai or conventional heirloom greens of Japan, to the Asian greens popularly present in farmers’ markets, specialty grocery shops, and eating places. Now you may develop them in your kitchen backyard, promote them at your backyard heart and develop them commercially.
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