Chrysanthemum Greens
Chrysanthemum greens—also called shungiku, tong ho, or crown daisy—are a tender, aromatic, lightly bitter green and a staple of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cooking. They cook in seconds and shine in hot pot, stir-fries, and quick sautés; the young leaves are also good raw in small amounts.
Storage
Don't wash them before storing—extra moisture just makes them slimy faster. Keep them in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer, where it's cool and humid; we don't do anything fussy with them. If they've gone limp, a 10-minute soak in cold water perks them back up—they hold a lot of water and revive easily.
Keeps For
A couple of weeks in the crisper if they're farm-fresh; about a week if they came from the grocery store, since those have usually spent time in transit already. They soften and yellow before they truly rot, so you'll get some warning.
Flavor Profile
Young leaves are mild with grassy, slightly sweet, almost herbal notes. Mature leaves develop a stronger bitter, aromatic flavor—closer to an herb than a salad green, which is why they're sometimes compared to mugwort or arugula. The leaves are slightly succulent and tender; the stems stay crunchy even after cooking.
How to Prep
If they're farm-fresh there's little to do; if they look gritty or came from a source you don't know, give them a good dunk and swish in cold water. They cook incredibly fast—a minute or two is all the leaves need—so the main thing is not to overcook them. Cook the leaves and stems together; the stems stay pleasantly crunchy. Break the bunch into bite-sized pieces right before cooking (cutting them early shortens their life), and pull off any flowering buds, which turn bitter and tea-like. The young leaves are also good raw, used sparingly.
Ways to Cook
- 1 Lightly stir-fry with a little sesame oil—a simple, classic preparation
- 2 Sauté in butter with toasted almonds, almondine-style
- 3 Serve alongside fish
- 4 Toss young leaves raw into salads
- 5 Blanch briefly and dress with sesame sauce (goma-ae)
- 6 Add to hot pot, soups, or stews in the last minute
Pairs Well With
Good to Know
Yellowing and limp leaves mean they're on the way out—usable if you cook them, but past their best raw. Slimy leaves should be pulled and tossed; the rest are fine. Don't overcook them: they turn from tender to mushy and the bitterness gets more pronounced the longer they sit in the pan.
Did You Know?
The chrysanthemum is a big deal in Japan—the emperor's seat is literally called the Chrysanthemum Throne, and the imperial crest is a chrysanthemum. This humble eating green is a cousin of that revered flower; its Japanese name, shungiku, even means "spring chrysanthemum." Let it go and it blooms into the daisy-like flower all its names point to.
Recipe Inspiration
Common Questions About Chrysanthemum Greens
What are chrysanthemum greens?
They're a leafy green eaten all over East Asia—tender leaves and crunchy stems you cook fast, like in a stir-fry, hot pot, or quick sauté. They have an aromatic, slightly bitter, almost herbal flavor. You might also see them labeled shungiku, tong ho, crown daisy, or ssukgat—all the same plant, just different kitchens. They're fine raw—we'd use them sparingly that way—but they're most popular cooked just briefly.
Can you eat chrysanthemum greens raw?
Yes, the young, tender leaves are good raw—they're a little grassy and herbal, nice tossed into a salad or added to a sandwich. Mature leaves get more bitter and aromatic, and most people find those better cooked. If you're not sure how strong yours are, taste a leaf raw before you commit a whole bowl to a salad.
What do chrysanthemum greens taste like?
Young leaves are mild, grassy, and slightly sweet with an herbal edge. As the plant matures the flavor turns more bitter and aromatic—closer to an herb than a salad green, which is why people compare it to mugwort, arugula, or even celery leaf. The stems stay crunchy and the leaves are a little succulent. If it tastes overwhelmingly bitter or perfumey to you, you've likely got mature leaves; cooking mellows them.
Why are my chrysanthemum greens bitter?
Bitterness comes mostly from maturity and heat—older plants and hot-weather growth taste stronger. It's also just the nature of the green; a little aromatic bitterness is the point, the way it is with arugula or dandelion. To tame it, cook them: a quick blanch or stir-fry knocks the edge off. Don't overcook them, though—the longer they sit in the pan, the more pronounced the bitterness gets.
How do you cook chrysanthemum greens?
Fast, mostly. The leaves need only a minute or two—stir-fry with garlic and a little sesame oil, blanch and dress with sesame sauce (goma-ae), or drop them into hot pot, sukiyaki, soup, or stew right at the end. They cook so quickly that the main mistake is leaving them in too long, where they go from tender to mushy and turn more bitter.
How long do you boil chrysanthemum greens?
Barely at all—30 to 60 seconds, just until the leaves wilt and turn bright green, then pull them out. They're tender greens, not something you simmer. The crunchy stems can take a touch longer than the leaves; if you want them even, give the stems a 20–30 second head start before adding the leaves. Right after, rinse them under cool water or drop them into a bowl of ice water to bring the temperature down fast—that stops the cooking so they don't go from tender to mushy. (That quick cool-down step is what cooks call blanching.)
How do you prepare chrysanthemum greens?
If they're farm-fresh, there's really not much to do. If they look like they're carrying some dirt or grit, give them a dunk and swish in a bowl of water—that also knocks off any insects, and if they're from a source you don't know, helps rinse away pesticide and herbicide residue. Beyond that, trim off any tough or yellowed bits, and you can cook the leaves and stems together; the stems are firmer but stay pleasantly crunchy, so most cooks don't separate them. If there are any flowering buds, we'd pull those off—they taste strongly of chrysanthemum tea and turn quite bitter in a way most people don't care for. We'd break or cut the bunch into bite-sized pieces so they're more pleasant to eat—unless you'd rather snip them at the table. One tip: don't cut them down until you're about to cook, since breaking them up shortens how long they keep.
How do you store chrysanthemum greens?
Loosely bagged in the refrigerator's crisper, like any tender green. They'll keep about a week. They wilt fast at room temperature, so don't leave them on the counter. If they've gone limp, a 10-minute soak in cold water perks them right back up—they hold a lot of water and revive easily.
How long do chrysanthemum greens last?
A couple of weeks if they're farm-fresh and bagged in the crisper; figure about a week if you bought them from the grocery store, since they've usually spent time in transit already. They soften and yellow before they truly rot, so you've got some warning. Pull and toss any leaves that have gone slimy and the rest will keep fine—the slimy ones drag down their neighbors.
Can you freeze chrysanthemum greens?
You can, but freezing ruins the fresh, crisp texture—they thaw soft and watery. If you're going to freeze them, blanch first (30 seconds), shock in cold water, squeeze dry, and freeze in portions. They'll be fine stirred into soups, hot pot, or anything where texture doesn't matter, but don't expect to use them raw or in a salad afterward. Honestly, they're best fresh; freeze only if you're about to lose them.
How do you know when chrysanthemum greens have gone bad?
Yellowing and limp leaves mean they're on the way out—still fine to cook, just past their best for raw eating. Slimy leaves should be pulled and tossed, but the rest of the bunch is usually fine once you've removed them. Toss the whole lot only if it smells off or has turned to mush.
What can I substitute for chrysanthemum greens?
Nothing is a perfect match, since the aromatic, slightly bitter flavor is distinctive. For the bitterness and bite, arugula, mizuna, or dandelion greens get you in the neighborhood. For the texture and the way it holds up in hot pot or soup, watercress or spinach work. If you're after that herbal, almost medicinal note, a handful of celery leaf or even a little tatsoi comes closer than a plain salad green. Use roughly the same volume and adjust to taste. None of these will really bring what chrysanthemum does, but they'll all be perfectly good in their own way.
What's the difference between chrysanthemum greens and crown daisy?
There isn't one—crown daisy is just another name for the same plant. Same goes for shungiku (Japanese), tong ho (Cantonese), garland chrysanthemum, and ssukgat (Korean). Seed packets and produce labels pick whichever name fits their tradition, but you're looking at one vegetable: Glebionis coronaria.
Is tong ho the same as shungiku?
Yes. Tong ho is the Cantonese name and shungiku is the Japanese name for the same edible chrysanthemum. Korean cooks call it ssukgat; in English you'll see crown daisy or garland chrysanthemum. The plant's the same; only the cuisine around it changes—tong ho turns up in Chinese hot pot and stir-fries, shungiku in Japanese sukiyaki and goma-ae.
Can you eat the stems of chrysanthemum greens?
Yes, and you usually should—the stems stay crunchy even after cooking and add a nice texture. They're a little firmer than the leaves but not woody like a mature kale stem. If you've got an especially thick-stemmed bunch and want everything tender at once, give the stems a short head start before adding the leaves. Otherwise just cook them together.
Can you eat chrysanthemum flowers?
The flowers of the edible chrysanthemum are edible—small yellow petals you can scatter raw over a dish or batter and fry—but most people prefer them as a tea. They're fine to eat as long as you like the flavor. We grow this plant for the leaves, so we don't usually let it flower, but if yours bolts and blooms the petals aren't wasted. One big caveat: only eat petals from a plant grown as food. Ornamental garden mums sold as houseplants, and cut flowers from the store or florist, aren't grown for eating and tend to be heavily dosed with chemicals—don't eat those.
What goes well with chrysanthemum greens?
Sesame in all its forms—oil, paste, toasted seeds—is the classic partner, along with soy, miso, dashi, ginger, and rice vinegar. They're great alongside fish and tofu, folded into hot pot with pork and noodles, or treated almondine-style with butter, toasted almonds, and a squeeze of lemon. Garlic and olive oil work too if you're taking them in a more Western direction.
What is chrysanthemum greens called in Chinese?
Tong ho (茼蒿) is the common name—you'll hear the Cantonese tong ho most often at Chinese markets and on hot pot menus, and tóng hāo in Mandarin. Labels sometimes just say 'chrysanthemum greens' or 'crown daisy' in English next to the characters. It's the same vegetable as Japanese shungiku and Korean ssukgat.
Are chrysanthemum greens good in hot pot?
They're a classic hot pot green—one of the most traditional additions to Chinese hot pot and Japanese sukiyaki. Add them at the very end and let them swim for under a minute; they soak up the broth, stay a little crunchy in the stem, and bring an aromatic, slightly bitter note that cuts through rich, fatty broths. Don't dump them in early or they'll overcook into mush.
Can you make tea from chrysanthemum greens?
The tea you've probably seen—chrysanthemum tea—is made from the dried flowers of a different chrysanthemum species, not these leafy greens. You can steep the greens, but that's not what they're for, and it's not the same drink. We grow these for cooking; if you want chrysanthemum tea, you want the dried flowers sold for that purpose. That said, steep the greens if you're curious—if you try it and it floats your boat, go for it.
Are chrysanthemum greens safe during pregnancy?
As a cooked vegetable in normal amounts, chrysanthemum greens are food like any other leafy green. But anything beyond 'I ate some sautéed greens'—medicinal teas, large quantities, supplements—is a question for your doctor or midwife, not a farmer. We can tell you how they taste and how to cook them; we can't give medical advice.
Where can you buy chrysanthemum greens?
The best ones come from local farmers—farmers markets and CSAs carry them in season, usually spring and fall when the cool weather keeps them tender and mild, and you know exactly how they were grown. If you want a reliable source year-round, Asian grocery stores almost always have them—look for tong ho, shungiku, crown daisy, or ssukgat on the label, often near the bok choy and other Asian greens. Just know that those are often shipped from all over the world and may carry herbicides and pesticides you'd rather not eat, so give them a good wash. They don't show up in most conventional supermarkets, so it's a local grower or an Asian market either way.