Protected local food
Toyohashi Hanaho
豊橋花穂
The little purple flower sprigs you see on a sashimi plate are often Toyohashi hanaho: shiso flower spikes from Toyohashi in Aichi, Japan's top supplier.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 30 January 2025
- Region
- Chubu
- Official name in Japanese
- 豊橋花穂
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 愛知県豊橋市、豊川市行明町、豊川市伊奈町、豊川市御津町、新城市作手清岳
The flowers on your sashimi
Hanaho are flower spikes of shiso, the Japanese herb, with vivid red-purple petals and a fresh scent. In Japanese restaurants a sprig sits beside sashimi. You strip the tiny flowers into your soy sauce for colour and aroma. Toyohashi hanaho is the biggest supplier to the Tokyo Central Wholesale Market.
Garnish country
The area around Toyohashi, Aichi, is warm, close to big cities and well watered by the Toyogawa canal, so greenhouse farming thrives here, especially tsumamono, the garnishes served with sashimi.
From winter-only to all year
When hanaho was first shipped in 1964, it was only available in winter. Growers bred and registered their own varieties and refined greenhouse growing, and now supply it all year. It has been exported to the EU, the US and other countries for about 20 years.
Good to know
- Next time you have sashimi, run your chopsticks down the stem to drop the flowers into your soy sauce.
- Compare with Toyohashi Nambu Tougan, winter melon from the same city.
Questions travellers ask
Can you eat hanaho?
Yes. The flowers have a mild shiso flavour and are also used in tempura and pickles.
Is it available outside Japan?
Yes. It has been exported to Europe and the US for around 20 years.
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.