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Next: 7 Jan 2027

Nanakusa no sekku

The seventh of January, when a porridge of seven spring herbs is eaten to rest the stomach after the New Year feasting.

water dropwort (seri, Oenanthe javanica ), shepherd's purse (nazuna), cudweed (gogyo, Gnaphalium affine), chickweed (hakobera, Stellaria media), nipplewort (hotokenoza, Lapsana apogonoides), turnip (suzuna), and daikon (
Photo: Blue Lotus, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Spices for Nanakusa no sekku

On 7 January, Japanese households cook nanakusa-gayu, rice porridge with seven herbs, traditionally including water dropwort, shepherd's purse, cudweed, chickweed, henbit, turnip and daikon. It is eaten lightly salted, without any strong spice, after days of rich food. It is the opposite end of the spice story, showing how restraint and fresh aromatic leaves have their own place in a spice calendar.

The spices

WasabiA sharper note in other seasonal dishes.

Also part of it, and being written: Daikon (One of the seven herbs, mild and peppery.).

About this page

Written by the EveryMasala desk with AI assistance. Background: "Nanakusa-no-sekku" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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