Food · Fermented foods

Mibuna (Kyoto Heritage Brassica)

みぶな (Mibuna)

Also known as: Mibuna, Mibu-na, Brassica rapa Mibuna cultivar, 壬生菜

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At a glance

CategoryFood
Japanese labeling nameみぶな
Common Japanese notationsみぶな, 壬生菜, ミブナ
OriginBrassica rapa Kyoto traditional cultivar from the Mibu area of Kyoto; closely related to mizuna but with smooth (non-feathery) leaves; one of the established Kyoto-yasai traditional vegetables
Typical functionsMibuna-zuke (Kyoto traditional pickle), Kyoto kaiseki spring ingredient, Premium Kyoto-yasai gift retail
Regulatory status in JapanStandard agricultural product labeling. Kyoto-yasai heritage category. Not a designated allergen.

Mibuna (みぶな / 壬生菜) is a Kyoto traditional Brassica rapa cultivar from the Mibu area of Kyoto, closely related to mizuna but with smooth (non-feathery) leaves. The OEM positioning is exclusively Kyoto-yasai heritage: as the foundation of mibuna-zuke (Kyoto traditional pickle), as Kyoto kaiseki spring ingredient, and as premium Kyoto-yasai gift retail.

Classification

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

Functions

Regulatory tags

Used in (typical product categories)

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

  • Fresh mibuna retail (Kyoto regional)
  • Mibuna-zuke pickle retail

What it is

Mibuna is a Brassica rapa Kyoto cultivar with smooth leaves (vs mizuna's feathery leaves). Heritage Kyoto-yasai.

Typical uses in Japanese products

Mibuna-zuke — Kyoto traditional pickle.

Kyoto kaiseki ingredient.

For OEM: mibuna-zuke production OEM with Kyoto sourcing, Kyoto-yasai gift retail.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Kyoto-yasai heritage. Not a designated allergen.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EUNiche specialty positioning.
USANiche specialty positioning.
ChinaNiche specialty positioning.
KoreaNiche specialty positioning.

Example products

Example finished products will be added after verification of Kyoto Mibu origin.

All brand names and product names referenced anywhere on this site are the property of their respective owners. Example entries are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement.

Related ingredients

References

  1. MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition — みぶな

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

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