Food · Fermented foods

Suizenjina (Okinawan Spinach / Gynura)

すいぜんじな (Suizenjina)

Also known as: Suizenjina, Okinawan spinach, Gynura bicolor, 水前寺菜, Hands-jīrā (Okinawan)

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	すいぜんじな
Common Japanese notations	すいぜんじな, 水前寺菜, ハンダマ, 金時草
Origin	Gynura bicolor; Asteraceae perennial herb with distinctive purple-red underside leaves; principal modern production regions Ishikawa Kanazawa (where it is called 'Kintoki-sō'), Kumamoto (Suizenji area, the original name source), and Okinawa (where it is called 'Handama')
Typical functions	Anthocyanin-positioned functional vegetable (purple underside is anthocyanin-rich), Kanazawa Kintoki-sō kaiseki specialty, Okinawa Handama regional cuisine, Salad and ohitashi preparations
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard agricultural product labeling. Multiple regional names — Kintoki-sō (Kanazawa), Handama (Okinawa), Suizenjina (Kumamoto). Not a designated allergen.

Suizenjina (すいぜんじな / 水前寺菜) — Gynura bicolor — is a distinctive multi-region Japanese specialty green with characteristic green-and-purple bicolor leaves (the purple underside is anthocyanin-rich, supporting functional positioning). Three regional names reflect three production traditions: Kintoki-sō in Kanazawa (Ishikawa, where it is a kaiseki specialty), Handama in Okinawa (where it is a regional cuisine staple), and Suizenjina in the Kumamoto Suizenji area (the original name origin). The OEM positioning is regional-specialty and anthocyanin-functional: as a Kanazawa kaiseki and Okinawan regional cuisine ingredient, as a salad and ohitashi specialty, and as a functional anthocyanin-positioned vegetable.

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 suizenjina retail (Kanazawa Kintoki-sō, Okinawa Handama, Kumamoto)

What it is

Suizenjina is Gynura bicolor, an Asteraceae perennial herb with distinctive bicolored leaves (deep green top with purple-red underside).

Three regional production cultures with distinct names: Kintoki-sō (Kanazawa Ishikawa), Handama (Okinawa), Suizenjina (Kumamoto Suizenji).

Typical uses in Japanese products

Kanazawa kaiseki — Kintoki-sō tempura, sunomono, ohitashi.

Okinawan regional cuisine — Handama-zōsui (rice porridge), Handama tempura.

Anthocyanin-functional positioning.

For OEM: regional retail OEM with appropriate naming (Kintoki-sō / Handama / Suizenjina), and anthocyanin-functional positioning.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Regional naming established. Not a designated allergen.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Niche specialty positioning.
USA	Niche specialty positioning.
China	China has its own Gynura bicolor (紫背天葵) tradition.
Korea	Niche specialty positioning.

Example products

Example finished products will be added after verification of regional origin (Kanazawa / Okinawa / Kumamoto).

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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 — すいぜんじな

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