Mugwort Tempura — A Tribute Through Taste

For the upcoming Mæst Food Summer Solstice Plant-Based Dinner, I’m planning to serve mugwort tempura as a small seasonal garnish. Though simple, this dish carries deep personal meaning.

Mugwort has always held a special place in my heart. As a child, I loved walking with my mother along farm roads, riverbanks, and narrow, small streets. She taught me how to recognize edible plants — not just by appearance, but by scent, texture, and timing. Spring was our favourite season for foraging, and mugwort was one of the first signs of it.

Most people associate mugwort with mochi, but my mother had another way. She made tempura — crisp, green, herbaceous. Light, yet earthy. It was one of her signature spring dishes.

She passed away last year. Including mugwort tempura in this dinner is a little tribute to her — to her knowledge, her love of the seasons, and the way she taught me to pay attention to the world around me.(The photo of the dish below is an example, at the point I took a photo, I couldn’t find mugwort so I used different plants)

By the way, about mugwort itself.

Mugwort — or Artemisia princeps in Japanese tradition — is a perennial herb found across much of the Northern Hemisphere. Its deeply lobed, silver-backed leaves have a distinctive herbal aroma and slightly bitter, earthy flavour. Used for centuries in East Asian and European cuisines and folk medicine, mugwort is especially cherished in spring, when the young shoots are tender and aromatic.

Please note: Mugwort has a long history in both culinary and medicinal traditions, but it is not recommended for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you have sensitivities to herbs or are unsure, feel free to reach out before the dinner.