''Artemisia princeps'', also called Yomogi, Japanese mugwort, Korean wormwood, Korean mugwort or first wormwood in English, is an

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

n plant species in the sunflower family, native to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

and

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...

. It is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

, very vigorous plant that grows to 1.2 meters. This species spreads rapidly by means of underground stolons and can become invasive. It bears small, buff-colored flowers from July to November which are

hermaphroditic In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have s ...

, and pollinated by wind. The leaves are feather shaped, scalloped and light green, with white dense fuzz on the underside.

Distribution and habitat

''Artemisia princeps'' is native to

and

. It has been introduced into

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It grows in a variety of habitats including roadsides, slopes, valleys, and riverbanks.

Uses

Culinary

Leaves and young seedlings can be eaten raw or cooked. They can also be used in salads and soups after removal of the bitterness.

Japan

In Japan the herb is used to flavor

glutinous rice Glutinous rice ('' Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amyl ...

dumplings Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fish ...

called '' kusa mochi'' () or ''yomogi mochi'' (), or rice flour dumplings called ''kusa

dango is a Japanese dumpling made from rice flour mixed with uruchi rice flour and glutinous rice flour. It is different from the method of making mochi, which is made after steaming glutinous rice. ''Dango'' is usually finished round shaped, three ...

'' (). The young leaves can be lightly boiled before being pounded and added to which they give a pleasant colour, aroma and flavour. Because of this use, the ''Artemesia'' plant is also called ''mochigusa'' (, though it is also called ''mogusa'' in reference to its use in

moxibustion Moxibustion () is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy which consists of burning dried mugwort ('' wikt:moxa'') on particular points on the body. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietna ...

). The plant is also actively grown in the state of Hawaii, and used for making the herbal ''mochi'' by residents of Japanese descent. The leaves are occasionally blanched and added to soups or rice in Japanese cuisine.

Korea

Mugwort, referred to as ''ssuk'' (쑥) in Korean, is widely used in

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...

as well as in

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

(''hanyak''). In spring, which is the harvesting season, the young leaves of mugwort are used to prepare savory dishes such as '' jeon'' (Korean-style pancakes), '' ssuk kimchi'', (쑥김치), '' ssukguk'' (쑥국, soup made with ''ssuk''). Most commonly, however, fresh mugwort as well as dried leaves ground into powder are a characteristic ingredient in various types of ''

tteok ''Tteok'' ( ko, 떡) is a class of Korean rice cakes made with steamed flour made of various grains, including glutinous or non-glutinous rice. Steamed flour can also be pounded, shaped, or pan-fried to make ''tteok''. In some cases, ''tte ...

'' (rice cakes). Today, ''ssuk'' also adds flavor and color to more contemporary desserts and beverages, e.g. ice cream, breads, cakes, mugwort tea (''ssukcha'' 쑥차) and ''ssuk'' latte (쑥라떼). Artemisia princeps.jpg, ''Ssuk'' (Korean mugwort) Aetang 2.jpg, ''Ae

tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) ...

'' (mugwort dumpling soup) Ssuk-beomuri 2.jpg, ''Ssuk- beomuri'' (mugwort rice cakes) Ssuktteok.jpg, ''Ssuk

'' (mugwort rice cakes) Ssukcha.jpg, ''

Ssukcha ''Ssukcha'' (), also called mugwort tea or wormwood tea, is a traditional Korean tea made from Korean mugwort (called ''ssuk'' () in Korean). It is commonly consumed in both North and South Korea. Preparation The preparation involves leave ...

'' (mugwort tea)

Medicinal

''Artemisia princeps'' is one of the species of mugwort used as in moxibustion, a traditional medical practice of

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million ...

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...

and

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

China

In China it is known as ''huanghua ai'' (, literally yellow-flower mugwort).

Culture

In Korea, it is called ''ssuk'' (쑥) or ''tarae ssuk'' (타래쑥) which is deeply related to Dangun Sinhwa (단군신화), legend of

Gojoseon Gojoseon () also called Joseon (), was the first kingdom on the Korean Peninsula. According to Korean mythology, the kingdom was established by the legendary founder named Dangun. Gojoseon possessed the most advanced culture in the Korean P ...

, the first Korean kingdom. To the ancient people in Korea, ''ssuk'' was one of the foods that was believed to have medicinal or religious value. In the foundation myth of Gojoseon in 2333 BCE, eating nothing but 20 cloves of

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

and a bundle of ''ssuk'' for 100 days let a bear be transformed into a woman.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1076280

princeps ''Princeps'' (plural: ''principes'') is a Latin word meaning "first in time or order; the first, foremost, chief, the most eminent, distinguished, or noble; the first man, first person". As a title, ''princeps'' originated in the Roman Republic w ...

Medicinal plants of Asia Korean vegetables Plants described in 1930 Flora of China Flora of Eastern Asia