Tonburi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tonburi (とんぶり?) is a type of edible seed., sometimes called "land caviar", "field caviar" or "mountain caviar". Tonburi is the dried seed of the summer cypress Kochia scoparia, a speciality of Akita prefecture in Japan.
After harvesting the cypress for its seeds, they are boiled and soaked in cold water for about a day. The outer skin is removed by rubbing it by hand.
The globules are 1-2 mm in diameter, glossy with a black-green color. It has a similar texture to caviar.
Often used as a garnish, it is used in Chinese medicine for urinary diseases and eye fatigue, among other things.
