Food · Fermented foods

Zuiki (Taro Stalk)

ずいき (Zuiki)

Also known as: Zuiki, Taro stalk, Sato-imo stalk, ずいき, 芋茎, Akazuiki (red taro stalk)

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	ずいき
Common Japanese notations	ずいき, 芋茎, ズイキ, 赤ずいき
Origin	Stalks of taro plants (Colocasia esculenta), traditionally Yatsugashira or Akazuiki (red-stalk variety) cultivars; modern production primarily as by-product or specialized cultivation in Tohoku and Niigata regions; both fresh and dried (hoshi-zuiki) forms
Typical functions	Traditional Japanese simmered preparations, Hoshi-zuiki (dried zuiki) — preserved category for year-round use, Pickled (su-zuke) and miso-pickled retail, Heritage cuisine ingredient
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard agricultural product labeling. Note that raw zuiki contains calcium oxalate that requires processing (boiling, soaking) before consumption. Not a designated allergen.

Zuiki (ずいき) is the leaf stalks of taro plants (Colocasia esculenta), traditionally from Yatsugashira or specialized Akazuiki cultivars. The OEM positioning is heritage and traditional: as fresh autumn-seasonal cooking vegetable for traditional simmered preparations, as hoshi-zuiki (dried zuiki) for year-round preserved retail, and as pickled retail. Volume is small — a heritage cuisine ingredient rather than mass-market vegetable. Tohoku and Niigata regions are the major modern production areas.

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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 zuiki (autumn seasonal)
Hoshi-zuiki (dried zuiki) retail
Pickled zuiki retail

Ingredient profile

Zuiki is the leaf stalks of taro plants. The traditional and most common cultivar for zuiki production is Yatsugashira or specialized Akazuiki (red-stalk taro varieties).

Production: Tohoku and Niigata regions for modern specialized production. Both fresh (autumn seasonal) and dried (hoshi-zuiki) forms.

Note on safety: raw zuiki contains calcium oxalate requiring processing (boiling, soaking, salting) before consumption.

OEM applications

Traditional simmered preparations — boiled with soy sauce, dashi, and sugar.

Hoshi-zuiki (dried zuiki) — preserved for year-round use, rehydrated for cooking.

Pickled retail.

For OEM: hoshi-zuiki retail (Tohoku origin), pickled zuiki retail, and heritage cuisine ingredient supply.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Calcium oxalate processing required. Not a designated allergen.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Niche specialty positioning.
USA	Niche specialty positioning.
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: May – October (taro stem; 八つ頭 / 赤芽芋 varieties)
Peak supply: August – September
Off-season: Dried 干しずいき (芋がら) supplies year-round

Source: 農林水産省野菜生産出荷統計. Aichi, Niigata, Shizuoka lead production.

Alternative ingredients

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Quick answers

What is Zuiki (Taro Stalk)?: Zuiki (ずいき) is the leaf stalks of taro plants (Colocasia esculenta), traditionally from Yatsugashira or specialized Akazuiki cultivars. The OEM positioning is heritage and traditional: as fresh autumn-seasonal cooking vegetable for traditional simmered preparations, as hoshi-zuiki (dried zuiki) for year-round preserved retail, and as pickled retail. Volume is small — a heritage cuisine ingredient rather than mass-market vegetable. Tohoku and Niigata regions are the major modern production areas.
What is the regulatory status of Zuiki (Taro Stalk) in Japan?: Standard agricultural product labeling. Note that raw zuiki contains calcium oxalate that requires processing (boiling, soaking) before consumption. Not a designated allergen.
What products typically use Zuiki (Taro Stalk)?: Fresh zuiki (autumn seasonal) / Hoshi-zuiki (dried zuiki) retail / Pickled zuiki retail
Where does Zuiki (Taro Stalk) come from?: Stalks of taro plants (Colocasia esculenta), traditionally Yatsugashira or Akazuiki (red-stalk variety) cultivars; modern production primarily as by-product or specialized cultivation in Tohoku and Niigata regions; both fresh and dried (hoshi-zuiki) forms
What is the INCI / JSCI labeling name for Zuiki (Taro Stalk)?: JSCI: ずいき

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Official regulatory databases

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MEXT 食品成分DB（検索） ↗

References

文部科学省 (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Standard Tables of Food Composition — ずいき各形態

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