Nishigata Imo is a traditional variety of taro cultivated in Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture. Its history is closely tied to the customs of the former Kashimo Village, particularly the Nishigata area of the Ogo district. For generations, brides who married into local households took over the cultivation of their families’ taro, preserving the varieties and farming traditions that had been passed down through the years.
Today, this heritage continues under the name Nishigata Imo. The taro is prized for its excellent storage qualities and its pleasantly sticky, chewy texture. It can be enjoyed in a variety of traditional dishes, including simmered taro, miso-grilled taro, taro dengaku, and Imo Gone Mochi, a traditional rice-cake-like dish made with taro.
Nishigata Imo is a versatile ingredient in local cuisine. Its rich, sticky texture makes it particularly well suited to simmered dishes and grilled preparations topped with miso.
The larger parent corms are also put to good use as an ingredient in Imo Mochi, a traditional taro-based rice cake. These dishes showcase the resourcefulness of local farming households and the distinctive qualities of this regional crop.
The cultivation cycle begins in April, when the parent corms are planted. The taro is harvested from late November onward, with the main season running from November through January.
Farmers have traditionally selected and saved their own seed corms, allowing them to preserve this distinctive local variety from one generation to the next.
Peak season: November
Autumn and early winter are ideal times to discover Nishigata Imo and enjoy its characteristic chewy texture in traditional dishes from the Nakatsugawa area.