Food · Fermented foods

Fuki (Japanese Butterbur)

ふき (Fuki)

Also known as: Fuki, Japanese butterbur, Petasites japonicus, 蕗, Akita-buki (Akita giant cultivar), Aichi-buki

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	ふき
Common Japanese notations	ふき, 蕗, フキ, 秋田蕗, 愛知早生蕗
Origin	Japanese butterbur (Petasites japonicus); native Japanese mountain vegetable; modern domestic cultivation in Aichi (Aichi-buki, the volume cultivated leader), Akita (Akita-buki, distinctive giant cultivar with stalks 1-2m), Hokkaido; the petioles (leaf stalks) are eaten
Typical functions	Fuki-no-nimono — traditional simmered preparation, Kyaraboki — sweet-savory simmered fuki preparation, Premium Akita-buki gift retail, Spring sansai cuisine
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard agricultural product labeling. Akita-buki (Akita giant) and Aichi-buki regional brands established. Note: fuki contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids requiring proper processing (water-soaking, lye-treatment) before consumption — properly processed retail products are food-safe. Not a designated allergen.

Fuki (ふき / 蕗) — Japanese butterbur (Petasites japonicus) — is a defining Japanese spring sansai with substantial OEM applications: as fresh spring vegetable for traditional fuki-no-nimono and kyaraboki preparations, as Akita-buki (the distinctive giant Akita cultivar with stalks 1-2m, used for premium gift retail), as Aichi-buki (the volume cultivated leader for everyday retail), and as kaiseki spring ingredient. Critical safety note: fuki contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids requiring proper water-soaking processing — only properly processed retail products are appropriate.

Classification

Tags below link to other ingredients sharing the same attribute, so you can pivot from one ingredient to its peers.

Product applications

Functions

Flavoring

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient

Origin

Plant-derived

Used in (typical product categories)

Finished-product categories that commonly include this ingredient in Japanese-market formulations.

Fresh fuki (spring seasonal, March-May)
Pre-cooked vacuum-pack fuki
Kyaraboki retail
Akita-buki giant gift retail

What it is

Fuki is Petasites japonicus, a perennial native to Japanese cool-temperate forests and mountain regions. The petioles (leaf stalks) are the food product.

Major cultivars: Akita-buki (秋田蕗, distinctive giant cultivar with stalks 1-2m long), Aichi-buki (Aichi early-season volume cultivated leader).

Typical uses in Japanese products

Fuki-no-nimono — sweet-savory simmered preparation.

Kyaraboki — long-simmered fuki, traditional preserved category.

Premium Akita-buki gift retail.

Kaiseki spring ingredient.

For OEM: fresh fuki retail (spring seasonal), pre-cooked vacuum-pack convenience format, kyaraboki production OEM, Akita-buki premium gift retail.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Akita-buki, Aichi-buki regional brands established.

Critical safety: pyrrolizidine alkaloid processing required.

Fuki is not a designated allergen.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Niche specialty / regulatory considerations for pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
USA	Niche specialty positioning.
China	Niche specialty positioning.
Korea	Korea has its own meowi (머위) butterbur tradition.

Example products

Example finished products will be added after verification of cultivar (Akita-buki / Aichi-buki) and origin.

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Related ingredients

Used in similar product applications

Other ingredients commonly used in the same finished-product families.

Sharing similar functions

Ingredients that overlap on functional benefit tags.

From the same origin

Other ingredients that share an origin classification.

References

MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition — ふき各形態

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.