Food · Fermented foods

Komatsuna (Japanese Mustard Spinach)

こまつな (Komatsuna)

Also known as: Komatsuna, Japanese mustard spinach, Brassica rapa var. perviridis, 小松菜

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	こまつな
Common Japanese notations	こまつな, 小松菜, コマツナ
Origin	Japanese mustard spinach (Brassica rapa var. perviridis); originating in Tokyo Komatsugawa area in Edo period (giving the name 'komatsu-na'); modern domestic production widespread, with Saitama, Tokyo, Ibaraki, Chiba as major regions; year-round availability with substantial retail volume
Typical functions	Universal Japanese leafy green — soup, ohitashi, sauteed dishes, smoothies, School lunch (kyu-shoku) staple, Functional health-positioning (calcium-rich leafy green), Volume retail vegetable
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard agricultural product labeling. Saitama, Tokyo, Ibaraki, Chiba major production regions. Year-round availability. Not a designated allergen.

Komatsuna (こまつな / 小松菜) is one of Japan's most widely consumed leafy green vegetables, originating in the Edo-period Komatsugawa area of Tokyo (hence the name) and now produced at substantial scale across Saitama, Tokyo, Ibaraki, and Chiba. The OEM positioning is universal household and foodservice volume vegetable: as a soup ingredient (komatsuna miso-shiru is a daily Japanese staple), as ohitashi and sauteed dishes, as a smoothie and salad ingredient (modern usage), as a school lunch program staple, and with growing functional health positioning leveraging notably high calcium content (170mg/100g — exceeds many other leafy greens). Year-round availability and stable volume supply make this a reliable OEM category for household and foodservice retail.

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Classification

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Product applications

Functions

Flavoring486

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient512

Origin

Plant-derived319

Common OEM product categories

Finished-product categories where Japanese OEM manufacturers commonly formulate with this ingredient.

Fresh komatsuna retail (year-round)
Pre-cut komatsuna (convenience format)
Frozen komatsuna (foodservice and processed-food ingredient)

Ingredient profile

Komatsuna is Brassica rapa var. perviridis, originally cultivated in the Komatsugawa area of Tokyo in the Edo period. The plant is a leafy mustard cousin of bok choy and napa cabbage, with smooth dark-green leaves and tender stems.

Nutritionally, fresh komatsuna per 100g provides 13 kcal, 1.5g protein, 0.2g fat, 2.4g carbohydrates with 1.9g dietary fiber. Notably high calcium content 170mg per 100g (exceeds many other leafy greens — comparable to milk on a per-100g basis). Vitamin C 39mg, K 280μg per 100g.

Production: Saitama, Tokyo, Ibaraki, Chiba are major regions. Year-round greenhouse and field production.

OEM applications

Universal leafy green — komatsuna miso-shiru (soup), ohitashi, sauteed dishes, casseroles.

School lunch staple — major component of kyu-shoku menu.

Smoothie and green-juice ingredient — modern usage growing.

Functional positioning — high-calcium leafy green.

For OEM: fresh komatsuna retail (year-round), pre-cut convenience format, frozen for foodservice and processed-food ingredient supply.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Major production regions for premium positioning. Not a designated allergen.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Imported as Japanese mustard spinach. Niche specialty positioning.
USA	Niche specialty in Japanese-cuisine and Asian channels.
China	Niche specialty positioning.
Korea	Niche specialty positioning.

Market reference formulations

Example finished products will be added after verification of regional origin.

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Seasonality & supply calendar

Harvest months: Year-round (greenhouse and field rotation); traditional peak: November – February
Peak supply: Continuous
Off-season: None

Source: 農林水産省野菜生産出荷統計. Saitama / Tokyo / Ibaraki lead production; year-round supply is stable.

Storage requirements

How the receiving OEM facility needs to handle inbound raw material.

Temperature: Chilled 0–4°C, ~95% RH
Conditions: Pre-cut bagged
Shelf life: 5 days at 0°C

Supply concentration

Where this ingredient comes from — useful for single-source-risk planning.

Primary regions: Ibaraki (~24% per R5 / 2023 野菜生産出荷統計), Saitama (~11%), Fukuoka (~9%)
Import dependence: 100% domestic

農林水産省野菜生産出荷統計

Certifications commonly available

Certification schemes commonly obtainable for this raw material. Always confirm the specific supplier's current certificate before contracting.

Scheme	Availability
Organic JAS	Common
Halal	Inherent
Vegan	Inherent

Alternative ingredients

Related ingredients commonly evaluated as substitutes.

Karashina (Japanese Mustard Greens)

Quick answers

What is Komatsuna (Japanese Mustard Spinach)?: Komatsuna (こまつな / 小松菜) is one of Japan's most widely consumed leafy green vegetables, originating in the Edo-period Komatsugawa area of Tokyo (hence the name) and now produced at substantial scale across Saitama, Tokyo, Ibaraki, and Chiba. The OEM positioning is universal household and foodservice volume vegetable: as a soup ingredient (komatsuna miso-shiru is a daily Japanese staple), as ohitashi and sauteed dishes, as a smoothie and salad ingredient (modern usage), as a school lunch program staple, and with growing functional health positioning leveraging notably high calcium content (170mg/100g — exceeds many other leafy greens). Year-round availability and stable volume supply make this a reliable OEM category for household and foodservice retail.
What is the regulatory status of Komatsuna (Japanese Mustard Spinach) in Japan?: Standard agricultural product labeling. Saitama, Tokyo, Ibaraki, Chiba major production regions. Year-round availability. Not a designated allergen.
What products typically use Komatsuna (Japanese Mustard Spinach)?: Fresh komatsuna retail (year-round) / Pre-cut komatsuna (convenience format) / Frozen komatsuna (foodservice and processed-food ingredient)
Where does Komatsuna (Japanese Mustard Spinach) come from?: Japanese mustard spinach (Brassica rapa var. perviridis); originating in Tokyo Komatsugawa area in Edo period (giving the name 'komatsu-na'); modern domestic production widespread, with Saitama, Tokyo, Ibaraki, Chiba as major regions; year-round availability with substantial retail volume
What is the INCI / JSCI labeling name for Komatsuna (Japanese Mustard Spinach)?: JSCI: こまつな

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Official regulatory databases

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References

文部科学省 (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Standard Tables of Food Composition — こまつな

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