蜂斗菜 / Fukinotou (Japanese butterbur)

蜂斗菜（別名款冬）是告知春天到訪的植物。在四月的中旬到下旬可以觀察到明亮的黃綠色花蕾。（在海拔比較高的山區還要再等數週以後才看得到。）蜂斗菜是相對生命力比較強的植物，在札幌市內的小公園、郊外道路的路邊等都可以看得到。蜂斗菜也可以做成天婦羅或和味增一起炒來食用。因為成長非常快速初夏時蜂斗菜的莖部可以拿來食用。

Fukinotou is the edible flower bud of the fuki, which is Japanese butterbur in English. It's an icon of spring arriving. The color of the buds are light green to yellow, and they turn up from the middle to the end of April, or a few weeks later in higher altitude mountain areas. Fukinotou is relatively strong and it grows even at small parks or on the side of the road in residential areas. Fuki grows fast and the stem is also a popular edible wild plant in early summer. It is usually eaten with tempura, miso soup or thick miso sauce.