Akebia | |
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Akebia quinata | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Ranunculales |
Family: | Lardizabalaceae |
Genus: | Akebia Decne. (1837) [1] |
Species | |
5, see text | |
Synonyms [1] | |
ArchakebiaC.Y.Wu, T.C.Chen & H.N.Qin (1995) |
Akebia is a genus of five species of flowering plant, within the family Lardizabalaceae.
Akebia quinata is the most well known species as a minor invader in the majority of the American East Coast [2] and some states in the West Coast. [3]
The scientific name, akebia, is a Latinization of akebi (通草), the Japanese name for the species A. quinata. [4]
There are five species: [1] [5]
Flower | Name | Common name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Akebia apetala (Quan Xia, J.Z.Sun & Z.X.Peng) Christenh. | China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan | ||
![]() | Akebia chingshuiensis T. Shimizu | Taiwan | |
![]() | Akebia longeracemosa Matsumura | Long Racemed Akebia | China and Taiwan |
| Akebia quinata (Houttuyn) Decaisne | Chocolate vine or five-leaf akebia | China, Korea and Japan |
![]() | Akebia trifoliata (Thunberg) Koidzumi | Three-leaf akebia | China, Korea and Japan |
Akebia quinata and Akebia trifoliata both bear edible fruit, containing a sweet white flesh. [6] Flavor varies greatly in akebias, even within the same species, with some individuals displaying a complex flavor profile resembling a mixture of banana, passionfruit and lychee, with others being mild, or even insipid (flavorless). [7] The "insipid" akebia varieties have the flavor intensity of dragon fruit [8]
Akebia is often mentioned in Japanese literature, where it is evocative of pastoral settings. [9] Although the akebi commonly refers to the five-leafed species, the three-leafed species is used in much the same way for novelty food, medicine, and for vine material.
While only a minor food eaten while foraging in the past, akebia is considered a specialty crop today, only available when in season. The pods contain a white, semi-translucent gelatinous pulp that is mildly sweet and full of seeds. [10] The taste is described as sweet but rather "insipid". [10] Some people recollect in idyllic terms how they foraged for it in the hills as children. [11]
The purple-colored, slightly bitter rind has been used as a vegetable in Yamagata Prefecture [11] [12] or in those northern areas, where the typical recipe calls for stuffing the rind with minced chicken (or pork) flavored with miso. [12] Minor quantities of akebia are shipped to the urban market as a novelty vegetable.
In addition to consuming the fruit, akebia leaves are also made into a tea infusion. [9] Outside of food and drinks, akebia vines are used for basket-weaving crafts. An old source lists Minakuchi, Shiga and Tsugaru (now Aomori Prefecture) as localities that produced baskets from the vines of trifoliate variety. [13]