Hinona Kabu Turnip Seeds – Ancient Japanese Heirloom, Slender Pink & White Root, Pickling & Salads, 45 Days

Hinona Kabu – Ancient Japanese Heirloom Turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapifera)

Hinona Kabu is a breathtakingly beautiful Japanese heirloom turnip with origins dating back to the 1470s in Shiga Prefecture. A designated dento yasai (traditional vegetable), it produces long, slender, elegant roots with vibrant pink-red shoulders fading to pure white below — stunning in the garden and on the plate. The flavor is delicate, mildly sweet with a pleasant spice, equally delicious eaten raw or cooked.

Hinona Kabu is the turnip behind the traditional Japanese pickled dish sakura-zuke, whose cherry-blossom-pink hue comes entirely from this variety’s natural pigmentation. It’s equally at home in salads, stir-fries, and soups, or simply caramelized in butter, sugar, and soy sauce until golden and tender.

Seed Details

• Variety: Hinona Kabu — Japanese Heirloom Turnip (organic)
• Root: Long, slender; pink-red upper third, white lower two-thirds
• Tops: Dark green with attractive purple veining
• Flavor: Delicate, mildly sweet with pleasant spice
• Days to Maturity: 45 days
• Season: Biennial; plant spring and fall
• Best Use: Pickling (sakura-zuke), salads, stir-fries, soups, caramelized side dish

Growing Instructions

• Direct sow 3 weeks before last frost in spring, or in late summer/early fall for a fall harvest.
• Sow seeds ½" deep in enriched, well-cultivated, sunny soil; firm gently over the row.
• Thin to 4–6" apart when first true leaves appear. Space rows 12–18" apart.
• Keep soil consistently moist; apply mulch to conserve moisture and control weeds.
• Watch for harlequin bugs (red and black); remove promptly to prevent damage.

Harvesting

• Pull small turnips at 1–3" for the most tender, flavorful roots.
• Harvest greens at any time; snip 2–3 leaves per root when harvesting both greens and roots.
• For storage: cut tops to ½" and keep unwashed in a cool, dark place. Can overwinter in the ground in warmer climates with mulch.

Select your desired seed quantity above. Organic, open-pollinated Japanese heirloom. Plant spring and fall.