Dec 12,2024
Located in the middle of Niijima Island, Niijima Noukyo (Niijima Agriculture Cooperative) is an essential base for those who operate farms on the island and an important place for islanders to get their daily fresh vegetables. More recently, it has caught the attention of tourists visiting the island. One of the reasons is the unique shakes and other processed foods made with local vegetables. We visited Niijima Noukyo, where you can get a glimpse into the lives of the islanders and fully savor the appeal of Niijima’s bountiful vegetables, and experienced for ourselves the charms of island vegetables.
“We work with local farmers to provide fresh, seasonal vegetables. We have a large assortment of products that both islanders and tourists can enjoy.”
Speaking to us is Ito Kozue, the manager of Niijima Noukyo’s retail outlet. While a convenient place to get local Niijima specialties, Niijima Noukyo is very much a part of the islanders’ lives. During the tourist season, many people come to the outlet to buy locally produced fresh vegetables and specialties.
“We don’t have as many vegetables in the summertime, but we have an extensive range of fresh vegetables in the winter and spring months. The most popular items are ashitaba herbs, shima-rakkyo [island shallots], and amerika-imo [a variety of sweet potato],” says outlet manager Ito.
Niijima-grown green chilies are harvested before they turn red. Their refreshing spiciness makes them the perfect sashimi garnish.
Shima-rakkyo bulbs. Niijima Noukyo not only sells produce; it is where farmers obtain the materials and machinery they need for farming.
Easily one of the most popular products among tourists at Niijima Noukyo is their original shakes. It’s odd to find shakes at an agricultural co-op to be sure, but the story of how they came about through a conversation with a farmer is even more interesting.
“There’s a farm called Fureai Noen where you can pick your own strawberries. We heard from them about how they didn’t want to waste the strawberries that were misshapen and left on the vines or the ones that were dropped. We had a good think about how we could use these strawberries, and what we came up with was a shake that people visiting Niijima Noukyo could enjoy any time of year. We have been selling the shakes for two years, and we added amerika-imo and ashitaba shakes as well. The ingredients are processed in season and then frozen, so customers can enjoy their fresh flavors any time of year.”
Niijima Noukyo’s original shakes. From the left, the amerika-imo shake, which features the rich sweetness of potatoes made with a paste of baked and strained amerika-imo sweet potato; the ashitaba shake, which retains the fresh flavor of ashitaba herbs but without the bitterness; and the strawberry shake that started it all, which uses plenty of ripe strawberries from Fureai Noen.
Originally from the mainland, Ito moved to Niijima around 16 years ago when she got married. What surprised her the most when she first came to Niijima was the deliciousness of the island’s vegetables.
“What really surprised me was the sweetness of the onions. Niijima has sandy soil that drains well, which may explain why the vegetables’ umami flavors are so concentrated. Even though Niijima is part of Metro Tokyo, the culture here is completely different from the mainland. There are many vegetables that I first tasted here, such as ashitaba, shima-rakkyo, and amerika-imo. I was also impressed at the deeply embedded cooking culture here of devising excellent meals from the limited variety of ingredients available. All the homemakers on the island are great cooks.”
Of the many distinctive vegetables on the island, the most well-known is the amerika-imo sweet potato. Amerika-imo has long been an invaluable food source for the islanders because it grows in soil conditions unsuitable for rice farming.
November is harvest time for amerika-imo. Kuzudango dumplings — made by mashing together steamed sweet potatoes, potato starch, and anko sweet bean paste — are said to be the islanders’ soul food.
“There are several theories how amerika-imo got its curious name. Some people say it’s because it is whiter in color than other sweet potato varieties, while others claim that the potato originally came from North America. It has a refreshing sweet potato taste, and with a little extra effort, you can bring out even more deliciousness. My recommendations are potato mochi cake and potato dango dumplings, both of which are local Niijima delicacies. These have been eaten for generations, and each household has its own recipe for them.”
Potato dango dumplings and potato mochi cake from Niijima Noukyo are frozen and preserved so you can have them anytime. You can eat the potato dango dumplings in various ways, such as deep-frying them with cheese inside, rolling them into an appropriate size and putting them in dumpling soup, or having them as steamed dumplings.
Below we present Niijima brand vegetables that are nurtured by the island’s white sand and fortuitous sunshine, along with Ito’s recommended ways of preparing and eating them.
Ashitaba
Ashitaba is a flowering plant in the Apiaceae (carrot) family that is indigenous to the Izu Islands. The herb is packed with nutrients and has a slight bitterness that becomes addictive. The tender portions of the sprouts can be made into tempura. Soba noodles topped with ashitaba tempura are famous. Ashitaba, which is grown without pesticides, is harvested twice a year, in spring (March to April) and in autumn (November to December).
“Ashitaba is delicious when boiled quickly and served as a side dish with soy sauce. Another recommendation is to mix it in with a dressing of mayonnaise and canned tuna. Ashitaba is a staple vegetable on the island; it is even used in school lunches.”
Shima-rakkyo
Shima-rakkyo shallots are a specialty of the island’s sandy soil. Somewhat smaller than regular shallots, they are distinguished by a pungent taste similar to that of leeks. Shima-rakkyo are made into tempura and pickles, and they are tender and sweet enough to be eaten raw in season. The harvest season runs from March to April.
“Shima-rakkyo are delicious raw when dipped in a sauce of mayonnaise and miso. A popular dish in our home, especially with the kids, is wrapping them in pork and frying them.”
Onions
Onions that grow in Niijima’s unique sandy soil and tough out the strong seasonal winds over winter are packed with concentrated umami and sweetness. They are harvested in April.
“Niijima onions are so surprisingly sweet that you don’t even need to soak them in water. So the tastiest way to eat them is to slice them raw and make a salad.”
Island chili peppers
The chili peppers grown on Niijima taste good and have a spicy kick that is irresistible to spicy food lovers. The red peppers are good for all kinds of cooking, while the green peppers, distinct for their refreshing spiciness, are often used to accompany sashimi. The harvest season lasts from July to September.
“I don’t eat island chili peppers very often because I can’t handle spicy food that much. But my husband, who grew up here, loves them. We often use fresh peppers chopped up to flavor stews or hot pots and use dried peppers in other cooking.”
In addition to fresh vegetables, Niijima Noukyo is lined with a wide range of processed food items using local produce.
“The reality is the number of producers is declining every year. Even the number of producers of our famous ashitaba is now down to just two. Despite this, it’s encouraging to see a farmer-led movement to revive the island’s agriculture. This movement has been developing novel processed food items one after another that make use of Niijima vegetables.”
The processed food items made from local produce also serve as preserves, allowing tourists to obtain the island’s vegetables year round, not just when they are in season. These products are also a new revenue stream for farmers.
Sweet potato jam made by a farmer who grows amerika-imo
Pickles consisting of island vegetables produced by a shima-rakkyo farmer. There are two varieties: spicy Japanese-style pickles made by pickling freshly-harvested shima-rakkyo in kelp broth and island chili peppers (left), and Western-style pickles that are flavored by adding thyme and bay leaves (right).
Peperon oil (left) is made by marinating fresh green peppers from Niijima in extra virgin olive oil, and Ashitaba tea (right) is produced by an ashitaba farmer
When observing the innovative products made from vegetables grown on the island for centuries, it is possible to see a future in which Niijima Noukyo continues to breathe new life into the island’s agriculture. The place continues to play a central role in connecting visitors to the island’s agriculture and lifestyle and in passing on the island’s food culture to the next generation. Niijima Noukyo is definitely worth a visit if you are travelling to Niijima.
Getting to Niijima takes two hours and 20 minutes by high-speed jet ferry or eight and a half hours by overnight ferry from Tokyo’s Takeshiba Sanbashi Pier. There are also ferry services from Kurihama Port in Kanagawa and Shimoda Port in Shizuoka.
Contact Tokai Kisen at 03-5472-9999 or 0570-005710
URL：https://www.tokaikisen.co.jp/
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