Organic green Mizuna seeds to grow as microgreens

Mizuna is a traditional Japanese vegetable plant (Brassica rapa var. nipposinica) grown for centuries in the Kyoto region. Its name 水菜 literally means "water vegetable" in Japanese. Botanically, it belongs to the large Brassicaceae family (the crucifers), like mustard, radish, cabbage and turnip - and more precisely to the species Brassica rapa, the same as turnip, pak choi and Chinese cabbage. At the adult stage, its leaves are eaten in Japanese soups, salads and pickles; at the microgreen stage, it is one of the most elegant and most aromatic varieties there is.

The two varieties belong to the same botanical species (Brassica rapa var. nipposinica), but they differ in colour and intensity of flavour. Green mizuna has uniform tender green foliage and a mild, balanced flavour, in the register of a "mild mustard". Red mizuna has purple-tinged leaves (thanks to anthocyanins) and a more peppery, more pronounced flavour - in the register of rocket. Visually, one is zen and soothing, the other more dramatic. In terms of growing, the process is identical: 6 to 10 days, 8 to 9 g of seeds per tray.

Sprouted seeds are harvested very early (2 to 5 days), at the radicle stage, and are grown in a jar or sprouter with daily rinsing. Microgreens go further: they are harvested at the cotyledon stage (the first embryonic leaves), between 6 and 10 days for mizuna, and only the aerial part is eaten, cut with scissors. They are grown on a light substrate - in our case, 100% natural ceramic granules. And with mizuna as a microgreen, you get as a bonus that elegant serrated silhouette which the sprouted seed does not reveal.

Allow around 8 to 9 g of seeds for a standard tray of the GEO Smart Greens sprouter. The 15 g sachet therefore gives you 1 crop, and the 200 g format around 22 to 25 crops - enough to have fresh green mizuna microgreens continuously for more than five months.

In concrete terms, allow 6 to 10 days between sowing and harvest. It is one of the quickest harvests in our selection - Brassicaceae (mizuna, kohlrabi, radish, broccoli, mustard) generally have a shorter cycle than Amaranthaceae (chard and beetroot), which need 10 to 14 days. Harvest when the shoots reach 5 to 7 cm. If you want fresh microgreens quickly, mizuna is one of the best varieties to go for.

No, it is not necessary. Unlike chard or beetroot seeds (which are hard clusters needing several hours of soaking), mizuna seeds are small, smooth and germinate quickly without any special preparation. Pour them straight onto the substrate, spray generously on the first day, and off you go.

For microgreens, it is not ideal. Easygreen sprouters are perfect for classic sprouted seeds (alfalfa, broccoli, lentils, fenugreek...) which are grown by misting or by siphon effect, without a substrate. Microgreens, on the other hand, need to be grown on a substrate with bottom irrigation. That is precisely the purpose of the GEO Smart Greens sprouter, designed for this process.

Yes, that is one of its big advantages. After harvesting, you remove the roots, rinse the granules in clean water, and you can start a new crop. The porous structure of the ceramic keeps its absorption capacity over the cycles - up to 5 reuses recommended by Bavicchi. It is honestly more ecological than a single-use peat or coir type substrate.

Ideally, cut them just before serving - that way you enjoy all their freshness and crunch. If you need to store them, put them in the fridge in an airtight box between two sheets of kitchen paper. They keep for 3 to 4 days, but their flavour is at its best in the first 24 hours.

A few concrete ideas we use at home with Aurélie: in a raw sunomono-style Japanese salad (cucumber, rice vinegar, gomasio); in a fresh seaweed salad such as rehydrated wakame or dulse - mizuna is back on home ground there; in an Asian-style raw bowl (cucumber, avocado, seaweed, sesame seeds, lime); on an avocado toast sprinkled with gomasio (made with sourdough bread or seed crackers); on a vegetable tartare with sesame; in a raw sauce made with tahini and tamari with a squeeze of lemon; as a garnish on a home-made black sesame hummus; in a raw maki (nori roll filled with raw vegetables, avocado, microgreens); or as a topping on a green smoothie for that peppery touch that wakes things up. Always add at the end of preparation, raw, to preserve the aromas and all the finesse of this plant.