Cycad (sago palm)

Cycas spp., Dioon spp. …

nuts & seeds

Starch-rich but toxic seeds and pith, washed and fermented at length to make miso (sotetsu miso) in Amami, or chamal tortillas in Mexico.

Origin

Southern Japan (Amami, Okinawa), Southeast Asia and Mexico

Where to find it

On Amami and Okinawa, it grows on cliffs and as hedges; sotetsu miso is sold in shops on Amami Island.

Season (United States)

all year round

Preparation

Toxic raw: only in traditional preparations, washed and fermented at length.

Did you know?

In Okinawa, “cycad hell” refers to the famines of the 1920s, when poorly prepared cycad was eaten.