Water shield. A plant with deep maroon flowers that grows on the bottom of deep, clear old ponds. In late spring its immature buds are surrounded by a gelatinous sheath. Junsai is texture food, both rare and difficult to obtain. It's best season in Japan is June but it is available from April to September. At a kaiseki meal in Kyoto, this was our first course (of nine). We thought it was raw frogspawn, but anyway found the flavour delicate and delightful, and the texture fine, sliding down the throat. They actually do grow in Europe and North America in similar waters but it is not generally eaten in these cultures.
