I received some udo harvested from the mountains. It definitely carries the scent of mountain vegetables, but I can’t quite articulate what kind of scent it is. It reminds me of a time long ago, perhaps in Shinhotaka, when it was served during a meal at a guesthouse. I recall it was served as tempura and dressed with vinegar miso; both dishes had the characteristic bitterness of mountain vegetables, a crisp texture, and paired well with rice, allowing me to appreciate the deliciousness of udo for the first time. Upon researching, I found out that udo is one of the few vegetables native to Japan and has been cherished as a harbinger of spring since ancient times, dating back to the Heian period. Most of the udo found in supermarkets and such are cultivated, available throughout the year, but wild udo has a short harvesting season, typically from March to June. Although udo grows impressively tall and appears robust, it is often referred to as ‘udo no taiboku’ (the big tree of udo) to describe someone who is physically imposing but of little use. This is because once the udo season passes, it continues to grow larger, reaching heights of over 2 meters, and its softness renders it unsuitable for construction materials, leading to the metaphorical comparison of udo to people who are of no use.

山で取ったウドを頂きました。確かに山菜の香りがするのですが、どう言う香りかはうまく表現できません。昔、新穂高だったと思うのですが、民宿の食事に出た事を思い出しました。天ぷらと酢味噌和えだったと思うのですが、どちらも山菜特有の苦さがあり、シャキッとした歯ごたえで、御飯によく合い、ウドの美味しさを初めて知りました。調べてみたら、ウドは数少ない日本原産の野菜のひとつで、平安時代の昔から春を感じさせる山菜として親しまれてきたそうです。スーパーなどで見かけるウドのほとんどは栽培物で、一年を通じて手に入るそうですが、天然物の旬は収穫時期が短く、3～6月頃が旬らしいです。体ばかり大きくて立派だが、何の役にも立たない人のことを「ウドの大木」といいますが、旬を過ぎたウドはどんどん大きくなり、２ｍ以上の高さになるのと、柔らか くて建築用材などにも使えないことから、ウドを人間に例え、役立 たずな者を意味するようになったといわれています。