Menegi (Sprout Onion) Sushi

Menegi / Young Green Onion Sprouts

Vegetable Sushi

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Order Asparagales, Family Amaryllidaceae, Genus Allium

Menegi are the young shoots of leaf onions harvested shortly after sprouting. The main production areas are Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures. Like mature green onions, they are a highly nutritious ingredient, but because quality control and stable production are difficult, they are more expensive than mature green onions.

Menegi are young leaf onions harvested at an early stage shortly after sprouting. Like mature green onions, the inside is hollow, and they are about 1 millimeter thick and about 5 to 15 centimeters long.  Green onions can broadly be divided into two types: "nebuka negi" (root-deep onions), which have a thick stem and a long white part, and "ha negi" (leaf onions), which are thin with a long leaf part. Menegi are mainly the young sprouts of "leaf onions." Being even younger than leaf onions, menegi are characterized by being softer than leaf onions, having a vivid color and pleasant aroma, a crisp and crunchy texture, and a small appearance. Because they are more difficult to produce than ordinary leaf onions and have a small distribution volume, they are also known as a premium ingredient. With their small, charming appearance and beautiful coloring, menegi are also used to add color to dishes, and they are used as a sushi topping as well.

Production areas and prices of menegi

The main production areas of menegi are Shizuoka, Aichi, and Chiba prefectures, and the hardy "Kaori Menegi" is well known as a dedicated menegi variety. In addition, "Kyomaruen Hime Negi," a Shizuoka producer specializing in growing mini vegetables, is a famous menegi brand, supplying menegi to "JA Topia Hamamatsu," which accounts for nearly half of the market distribution of menegi. Menegi are harvested year-round, but because they do not keep well and require effort such as aligning them all to the same length, they tend to be more expensive than ordinary green onions, selling at around 300 to 500 yen per pack. Because their uses are also limited and they are somewhat expensive, they are hard to find at ordinary supermarkets, and even at sushi restaurants they are often offered at a slightly higher price except at chain restaurants.

Sushi chains and conveyor-belt sushi restaurants where you can eat menegi sushi

Since not many sushi restaurants handle menegi sushi, those who wanted to eat it once had to go to high-end sushi restaurants. In recent years, however, it is offered at sushi chains such as "Sushizanmai," "Uogashi Nihonichi (Okachimachi branch, etc.)," "Bikkuri Sushi (Ebisu branch, etc.)," and "Sharaku (Akasaka branch, etc.)," making it an easier sushi topping to enjoy than before. As for conveyor-belt sushi, it is not offered at the so-called robot-style four major conveyor-belt sushi chains such as "Sushiro," "Hama Sushi," "Kura Sushi," and "Kappa Sushi" (as of January 2023, except during special periods). However, in the Kanto and nationwide areas, you can eat it at chains such as "Sushi Choshimaru," "Kanazawa Maimon Sushi (Juhime Otemachi branch, etc.)," "Numazuko (Shinjuku main branch, etc.)," and "Sushi Kuine!," and in the Kansai area at chains such as "Daiki Suisan Kaiten Sushi Namba CITY branch" and "Nigiri Chojiro (Kusatsu branch, etc.)." *The menu is subject to change, so please check directly with the restaurant before visiting.

Menegi sushi, a fine supporting role

Menegi sushi is served with a bundle of menegi placed on top of the rice. The flavor of menegi is slightly spicy, with a soft, refreshing aroma and a cool sensation that rises through the nose. You can enjoy a crisp, crunchy texture together with the rice and eat it in a refreshing way. It is often served wrapped with a band of nori, but to highlight the refreshing quality of menegi, it is sometimes served without nori. Compared with other sushi toppings it is relatively plain, and it is sometimes positioned as a palate cleanser, but with its easy-to-eat texture and unique flavor, many fans say that when they want menegi sushi, only menegi sushi will do. Moreover, although menegi are young, they have plenty of the antibacterial action characteristic of green onions, making it a fine supporting-role sushi topping.

Menegi sushi with a refreshing, crisp and crunchy texture

Let's make homemade menegi sushi

Menegi can be hard to obtain, but seeds are sold cheaply on the internet and at gardening supply stores, so you can also grow them yourself. Here is an easy growing method, so please try making homemade menegi sushi.

How to grow menegi
1. Prepare a container that can hold about 5cm of water. Lay a sponge cut to about 3cm thick and soaked thoroughly with water into the container, then pour in enough water to submerge half of the sponge.

2. Place the seeds on top of the sponge and cover them with moistened toilet paper.

3. Put it in a well-ventilated, sunny spot and remember to change the water every day so it never runs dry.

4. Once the seeds sprout, move them to a well-ventilated spot out of direct sunlight.

5. They will grow in about 2 to 3 weeks, so cut them at the root to harvest.

Where you can buy menegi seeds
List of menegi on Rakuten Ichiba
List of menegi on Yahoo! Shopping