A leafy vegetable of the Asteraceae family, used in winter hot pots and similar dishes. In the Kansai region it is called "kikuna." A Kewpie recipe information page says the bitterness is greater in the leaves than in the stems and becomes stronger with heating, and a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries public-relations magazine says kikuna (the Kansai type) is not as bitter or acrid (egumi) as Kanto-style shungiku.
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Other names: 菊菜（きくな） (ja), crown daisy (en, identification medium)
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Sensory (1)
garland chrysanthemum — sensory attribute: The type called kikuna in the Kansai region (leaves rounded with shallow lobes, and a spreading plant habit) is not as bitter or acrid (egumi) as Kanto-style shungiku.contextual
Scope: Layer: food. A statement in a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries public-relations magazine introducing a kikuna grower in Osaka Prefecture.
Note: This is a public-relations article's explanation, not a sensory test. No comparison numbers are given. The same article says in the recipe key points that for kikuna, which has little acridity (egumi) and bitterness, the key is not to overboil it and to pass it quickly through hot water like shabu-shabu, but this does not show a relationship between boiling time and bitterness.
The article states "not as bitter or acrid (egumi) as Kanto-style shungiku," and in the recipe key points says "for kikuna, which has little acridity (egumi) and bitterness, the key is not to overboil it" and "pass it quickly through hot water like shabu-shabu."
Limitations: No sensory test or component measurement is behind it; it is a public-relations article's explanation.
Show dataingredient-shungiku —has_sensory_attribute→ "The type called kikuna in the Kansai region (leaves rounded with shallow lobes, and a spreading plant habit) is not as bitter or acrid (egumi) as Kanto-style shungiku."
garland chrysanthemum — perceived bitterness is affected by: Heating (bitterness is barely felt when raw and becomes stronger with heating; both sources recommend brief heating of about 10 seconds).contextual
Scope: Layer: food. Shungiku leaves. 2 sources: a food manufacturer's recipe information page and a web article by an author who claims experience in a produce department.
Note: Both of the 2 sources are cooking-side explanations, and no sensory tests or component measurements are shown (it is also unclear whether they rest on independent primary sources). The statement runs opposite to the common saying that "boiling reduces bitterness," but no source that tested it experimentally was found. The cause of bitterness given by the web article (polyphenols) is not supported by evidence and is not adopted.
The page states "The bitterness of shungiku is contained more in the leaves than in the stems and becomes stronger with heating. When raw, the bitterness is barely felt, so for those who dislike the bitterness of shungiku, we recommend eating it raw or heating it briefly for about 10 seconds."
Limitations: No measurements or sources are given, and there is no peer review or sensory test behind it.
The article states "Shungiku becomes considerably bitter when boiled for more than 10 seconds," and recommends, when the stems are thick, boiling the stems first for 30 seconds and then the leaves for 10 seconds. For hot pots, it says strong bitterness does not appear if the leaves are added just before taking them into a small dish, or if the simmering time does not exceed 10 seconds.
Limitations: A web article by an individual author, with no measurements or sources given. The statement that polyphenols cause the bitterness is not supported by evidence and is not adopted.
Show dataingredient-shungiku —has_perceived_bitterness_affected_by→ "Heating (bitterness is barely felt when raw and becomes stronger with heating; both sources recommend brief heating of about 10 seconds)."
garland chrysanthemum — perceived bitterness is associated with: The leaves (the sources say the stems have little or almost no bitterness; cooking is recommended in which the stems are heated first and the leaves later for a short time).contextual
Scope: Layer: food. Shungiku. 2 sources: a food manufacturer's recipe information page (more in the leaves than in the stems) and a web article (the stems contain almost no bitter components).
Note: Neither of the 2 sources describes sensory tests or component measurements. "Almost none is contained" is one source's assertion; the other only says "more in the leaves."
The page states "The bitterness of shungiku is contained more in the leaves than in the stems."
Limitations: No measurements or sources are given.
Show dataingredient-shungiku —has_perceived_bitterness_associated_with→ "The leaves (the sources say the stems have little or almost no bitterness; cooking is recommended in which the stems are heated first and the leaves later for a short time)."