The sansai-picking day was way more than productive than I had expected: I had already learnt how to recognize and pick up the fuki and warabi. And, fortunately, I also had the chance to gather another variety of plant: the magnolia leaves. I did not even know that these leaves could be used for cooking, but it seems that Japanese use it for preparing several dishes.
The magnolia trees where these leaves are taken are quite tall, with big leaves – wide, and generally 30 cm long – going from bright to dark green. They grow in flower-shaped clusters, usually consisting of a dozen leaves. I find it quite pretty; besides the magnolia trees really have a good scent!
To use in cooking, we only take the best leaves. They should not be damaged, nor eaten by insects, or else it won’t be good. Moreover, the leaves need to be big enough to contain a sufficient amount of food. One needs to be very careful while taking the leaf: experience has proven me that it can tear away quite easily. Once taken, the magnolia leaves can be kept for several weeks, preferentially in a dark and dry place, or else they might start to wither. A withered leaf cannot be used in cooking anymore.
The Japanese have different ways of using these leaves. When they are still green, they can be used to pack the bento (Japanese lunch pack) or the onigiri (rice balls), thus being an ecological package! But, they can also be used to make the houba-mochi. These are mochi – glutinous rice cake – which are inserted into a green magnolia leaf.
The leaf itself cannot be eaten, but when a mochi is inserted into it, it slowly takes the smell of the magnolia leaf, along with a little taste. Don’t try to eat the mochi directly: it is so stuck to the leaf that it is almost impossible to remove it! You have first to put the houba-mochi into the toaster for a few minutes. Thus, the leaf dries a little and the mochi gets less sticky, and you can take it off to eat it.
It was the first time I got to see such a variety of mochi, and according to what I have heard, it is a relatively rare one. Besides, it relies on the availability of magnolia leaves, which are not sold commonly. These leaves are also used for preparing several other dishes in the Hida region, especially once they have been properly dried. Among these dishes is the houba-miso – dish made from miso prepared inside a magnolia leaf -, but that will be for later…
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