TOKYO - With matcha facing shortages amid a global boom, attention is now turning to another traditional Japanese ingredient: yomogi.
Known in English as Japanese mugwort, yomogi is a perennial plant from the chrysanthemum family that grows throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Long valued for its medicinal properties and versatility, it is often referred to as the “queen of herbs.”
Traditionally used in foods such as yomogi mochi and kusa mochi, the herb is also consumed in teas and used in practices such as yomogi steaming, which is believed to help warm the body.
As yomogi reaches its peak season, a growing number of related products are appearing across Japan.
Convenience store chains are introducing seasonal items including Seven-Eleven’s “Yomogi-Scented Grass Mochi” and FamilyMart’s yomogi steamed bread, while donut specialty chain Floresta has been selling yomogi donuts between March and May, while supplies last.
According to Floresta, the donuts have become especially popular due to their unusual flavor, nostalgic appeal, and chewy texture. The chain noted that while yomogi products once attracted mainly older customers, younger consumers have increasingly begun purchasing them as well.
Industry observers say yomogi is now drawing attention worldwide as a potential alternative to matcha, whose soaring global demand has led to supply shortages and higher prices.
Uenochu, a company that sells yomogi powder and related products, said its shipment volume in 2025 reached the highest level on record. Adviser Akifushi Ueno said the company could “feel the signs of a boom” and described the trend as exciting.
The growing popularity is also visible at specialty cafes and dessert shops, where younger customers are increasingly choosing yomogi-based drinks and sweets.
Caster Mai Demizu said she has long enjoyed yomogi mochi and regularly keeps various kinds of brown rice mochi at home, including yomogi versions, but added that she had not realized the herb could be used in so many other ways.
“The unique bitterness becomes strangely addictive,” she said.
Some shops are now placing yomogi at the center of entirely new creations.
Taiyaki shop Tomoean in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward is currently selling a limited-edition “Yomogi Shiratama Taiyaki,” which the store says has become its most popular seasonal taiyaki flavor.
The pastry contains yomogi mixed into both the shiratama rice dumplings and the sweet red bean paste filling, giving it an especially concentrated herbal flavor. Store staff jokingly described it as “almost entirely grass.”
To ensure the yomogi aroma stands out even against the strong flavor of chunky red bean paste, the shop uses finely chopped young yomogi leaves rather than powder, blending them directly into the shiratama and bean paste.
Yomogi is also making its way into beverages.
A craft beer called “Tokujou – Yomogi Kaoru” has recently appeared, offering aromas reminiscent of kusa mochi along with a balance of sweetness and mild bitterness from the herb.
The beer is being served in select courses at SVB Tokyo in Shibuya Ward, where staff recommend pairing it with meat dishes topped with cherry blossom jam, creating a flavor said to resemble sakura mochi.
Source: TBS
