Negi

Negi spring onion or Welsh onion is very widely used, primarily as a nabemono or soup ingredient, or as sarashinegi an addition to tsuyu dipping sauces for noodles. In Kanto only the white part of the the shironegi or naganegi is used.

Negi from Tokyo’s Nerima ward has a long history as one of the Edo Yasai, Tokyo traditional vegetables. In Kansai only the green section of the softer variety aonegi is used for sarashinegi. Kyoto’s Kujo-negi is their onion of choice.

Shimonita negi is large ippon negi, that is to say, a ‘single’ rather than ‘bunch’. They take their name from the area of Western Gunma Prefecture where they originated and are still produced. Other varieties include wakegi, akanegi red negi, and the marvelous, tiny menegi. The latter are fabulous chopped over miso soup. They are so small and fine that you can easily cut them with scissors.