Akebia

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Akebia
Akebia quinata02.jpg
Akebia quinata
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Lardizabalaceae
Genus: Akebia
Decne.[1]
Species

See text.

Akebia is a genus of five species of flowering plant, within the family Lardizabalaceae. The scientific name, akebia, is a Latinization of the Japanese name for species Akebia quinata: akebi (通草).

Species[]

There are five species:[1][2]

Flower Name Common Name Distribution
(Quan Xia, J.Z.Sun & Z.X.Peng) Christenh. China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan
T. Shimizu Taiwan
Akebia longeracemosa (14168601575).jpg Matsumura China and Taiwan
Akebia quinata 003.JPG Akebia quinata (Houttuyn) Decaisne Chocolate vine or five-leaf akebia China, Korea and Japan
Akebia trifoliata1.jpg (Thunberg) Koidzumi Three-leaf akebia China, Korea and Japan

Hybrids[]

  • Akebia ×pentaphylla (Makino) Makino (A. quinata × A. trifoliata)

Fruit[]

Akebia quinata and Akebia trifoliata both bear edible fruit, containing a sweet white flesh.[3] Flavor varies greatly in akebias, even within the same species, with some individuals displaying a complex flavor profile resembling a mixture of banana, passionfruit and lychee, with others being mild, or even insipid.[4]

Akebia in Japan[]

Akebia is often mentioned in Japanese literature, where it is evocative of pastoral settings.[5] Although the akebi commonly refers to the five-leafed species, the three-leafed species is used in much the same way for novelty food, medicine, and for vine material.

While only a minor food eaten while foraging in the past, akebia is considered a specialty crop today, only available when in season. The pods contain a white, semi-translucent gelatinous pulp that is mildly sweet and full of seeds.[6] The taste is described as sweet but rather "insipid".[6] Some people recollect in idyllic terms how they foraged for it in the hills as children.[7]

The purple-colored, slightly bitter rind has been used as a vegetable in Yamagata Prefecture[7][8] or in those northern areas, where the typical recipe calls for stuffing the rind with minced chicken (or pork) flavored with miso.[8] Minor quantities of akebia are shipped to the urban market as a novelty vegetable.

In addition to consuming the fruit, akebia leaves are also made into a tea infusion.[5] Outside of food and drinks, akebia vines are used for basket-weaving crafts. An old source lists Minakuchi, Shiga and Tsugaru (now Aomori Prefecture) as localities that produced baskets from the vines of trifoliate variety.[9]

Gallery[]

  • Ripe Akebia trifoliata fruit

  • Akebia quinata leaves and flowers

  • Female flowers of Akebia quinata (large) and male (small)

  • Early fruit of Akebia quinata

  • Akebia quinata flower

  • Early fruit of Akebia quinata

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Akebia Decne". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  2. ^ "Akebia". Flora of China. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  3. ^ "Akebia quinata". PFAF.
  4. ^ "Akebia: A Potential New Fruit Crop in China". HortScience.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Davidson, Alan, and Tom Jaine. The Oxford companion to food. Oxford University Press, USA, 2006. 805. Print. Retrieved Aug. 09, 2010, from [1]
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Sargent, Charles Sprague (March 25, 1891), "Plant Notes-The Fruit of Akebia quinata (With Figure.)" (google), Garden and Forest, 4 (161): 136
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Nimura, Kazuo(二村一夫)r (2006-07-22). "食の自分史" [Self-history on food]. 『食の自分史』. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Yamagata City Health Center (2011-01-31). "あけびの詰め物" [stuffed akebia]. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2017., photograph shows trifoliate variety (twig, fresh purple plant, and prepared dish)
  9. ^ Agricultural Society of Japan; Dai Nihon Nōkai(author alia) (1895). Useful plants of Japan: described and illustrated (google). 1. Agricultural Society of Japan. p. 92.

Further reading[]

External links[]

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