Protected local food
Okuchi Renkon
大口れんこん
Lotus root from Nakanoshima in Nagaoka, Niigata. Warm groundwater lets it grow far north of where lotus normally thrives, and it stays white and crunchy.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 31 May 2021
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 大口れんこん
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 明治22年3月31日における行政区画名としての新潟県南蒲原郡大口村、池之島村、押切新田、思川新田、大曲戸村、大曲戸新田、 灰島新田、中興野、坪根村（現長岡市中之島上通地区）
Lotus in the snow country
Lotus is a warm-climate plant, and commercial growing is usually said to stop around Ibaraki and Tochigi. Niigata is further north and known for snow. But the old Okuchi village area, now Nakanoshima in Nagaoka city, Niigata, has long drilled for natural gas and hot springs, and its groundwater is warmer than elsewhere in the city. Farmers use that water to grow lotus.
Clean, white and crisp
Strict shipping rules mean every root is undamaged with no mud inside its holes. The flesh stays white even after cooking instead of darkening, and it is crunchy with a sweet, savoury taste. More and more buyers ask for it by name.
Good to know
- Nagaoka hosts one of Japan's biggest fireworks festivals every August 2 and 3.
- Try lotus root as kinpira (stir-fried with soy and sesame), in tempura or in nimono.
Questions travellers ask
Why does it stay white?
Its flesh is naturally slow to darken, unlike most lotus root, which can turn grey-purple when cooked.
When is it in season?
Lotus root is harvested mainly from autumn through winter.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.