ふきのとう

noun

butterbur bud; butterbur flower stalk (early-spring wild vegetable)

1. butterbur bud; the young flower stalk of the butterbur

The pale green bud that pushes up from the ground before the butterbur's leaves appear. Prized as one of the first wild vegetables of the year and known for its strong bitterness.

ふきのとうの天(てん)ぷらは苦(にが)い。

Butterbur bud tempura is bitter.

土手(どて)にふきのとうが顔(かお)を出(だ)していた。

Butterbur buds were poking up on the embankment.

雪(ゆき)が溶(と)けるとふきのとうが芽(め)を出(だ)し、春(はる)が来(き)たことを知(し)らせてくれる。

When the snow melts, butterbur buds sprout and let us know that spring has come.

Written 蕗(ふき)の薹(とう) in kanji, but normally kana. Literally 'the 薹(とう) (flower stalk) of the 蕗(ふき) (butterbur).' A standard image of early spring in haiku and in seasonal cooking.

Common collocations

ふきのとうの天(てん)ぷら: butterbur bud tempura
ふきのとう味噌(みそ): butterbur bud miso
ふきのとうが芽(め)を出(だ)す: butterbur buds sprout
ふきのとうを摘(つ)む: to pick butterbur buds

Usage

Because the bitterness is the point, ふきのとう is cooked in ways that keep it: tempura, or chopped into miso. The related word 蕗(ふき) refers to the leaf stalks, which are eaten later in spring and taste much milder.

Similar words

ぜんまい: royal fern — a spring 山菜(さんさい) too, but simmered rather than fried
筍(たけのこ): bamboo shoot — the other famous early-spring vegetable, sweet rather than bitter

Related Words

Related: ぜんまい (another spring wild vegetable)

Compare: 筍(たけのこ) (bamboo shoot)

Related: 蕨(わらび) (bracken)

general

Added 2026.8.8 21:24 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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