Cryptotaenia japonica

Mitsuba

Generally recognised as safe

Other names: Japanese wild parsley, Honewort

Mitsuba—shade of moist woods and Japanese gardens.

Perennial with ternate leaves in whorls.

Family: Apiaceae
Plant type: Perennial herb

What the safety levels mean (expand legend)

Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.

Mitsuba — plant habitus (Wikimedia Commons). — Photograph on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Plant habit

Quick overview

A practical summary; details are in the sections below.

Safety grade: Generally recognised as safe details
Scientific sources on the card: No published records yet
When and what to harvest: Leaf — March–June
Full harvest section
Processing methods: Culinary use, Fresh (raw) preparation
All methods and recipes on the card
Topics and symptoms: Digestion
Topics section, Symptoms overview

Identification and mix-ups

Diagnostic ternate leaves and habitat.

Possible mix-ups and risks

Other apiaceae when wild-gathering.

Similar herbs

No related herbs are linked yet.

Topics and symptoms

More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.

Digestion
Culinary· Traditional / cultural framing

Sources

Identification
- Kew Plants of the World Online — Cryptotaenia japonica Hassk.

Geographic occurrence

Japan
Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

Harvest

LeafMarch–June
jaro
Region: Japan
Notes: Young trifoliate leaves with stalks are cut from spring to early summer, until the plant flowers; then they turn bitter. It grows in the shade of damp woods and in gardens; cultivated plants are blanched or grown hydroponically.

Storage

Refrigeration(Leaf)
Fresh bunches keep 3–4 days in the fridge with stalks in water, covered; the leaves wilt fast.
Moisture:
Do not wash ahead.
Safety:
If foraging, identify with certainty — the carrot family has poisonous relatives.

Processing methods on this herb card

Culinary use(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability
Cooking, baking, seasoning as food — general category without therapeutic claims.
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Culinary use covers herbs as ingredients in dishes, drinks, or spice mixes. This overview does not evaluate medicinal effects — only reminds you about species intent, allergies, and heat treatment where needed (e.g. some fruits or plant parts).
Combining with alcohol, sugar, or long cooking changes outcomes; verify culinary sources.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no
Mitsuba ohitashi — blanched with dashi
About 10 minBeginnerScience profile
Open recipe →
Fresh (raw) preparation(Leaf)Suitability: High suitability
Raw use (salads, fresh leaves, etc.).
Full method description (from the catalogue)
Raw preparation keeps cell structure and yields a different flavour and chemistry profile than cooking. For wild plants, confident identification, clean harvesting, and knowledge of inedible or toxic parts or growth stages are essential.
Washing, brief blanching, or other steps can improve safety for specific taxa — that belongs on the herb card, not in a single general rule.
Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

Traditional / spiritual use

Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.

A mitsuba knot in the New Year soup
Symbolism
Traditional useRitualSymbolism
In Japanese New Year cooking (osechi) a mitsuba stalk tied in a knot floats in the ozoni soup: it is meant to 'tie' good relationships and luck for the year, and the three leaflets stand for three good things. A small household custom with a firm place in the calendar, not a claim about effect.
Form:
uzel z řapíků v novoroční polévce ozóni
Claim strength:
Tradition
Source note:
Japanese New Year customs (osechi ryori, ozoni); regional variants.

Scientific notes

Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.

How to read evidence strength and study type labels

Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.

Evidence strength

Evidence level not specified: The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
Narrative / orientational literature: Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
Weak evidence: Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
Preliminary findings: First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
Moderate strength of evidence: Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
Stronger evidence: Stronger design or consistency of results within the study's stated limits.
Review article: A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.

Study type

Narrative / expert text: Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
In vitro study: Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
Animal study: Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
Observational study: Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
Clinical trial: Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
Randomised controlled trial: Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
Review study: A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
Systematic review: Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
Meta-analysis: Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…): Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
Expert monograph (herbal preparations): Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.

No published study records yet.

Images

The main photo is in the card header. More images will appear here when available.

Safety

What the warning types mean

The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.

Internal use: Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
Interactions / medicines: Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
Raw plant parts: Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
Toxins and regulation: Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
Contact with the plant: Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
Allergy: Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
Harvesting and contamination: Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.

No structured safety records yet.