The familiar grape tomato Aiko. Pucchini mini pumpkins that can be used whole in meals. Mini Bok choi syaopao which is perfect in Chinese dishes. The fun and easy to toss leaves known as Baby Salad Mix.

Though there is no clear criteria for mini & baby vegetables, In our definition, mini vegetables are those that are smaller in size than traditional varieties even when fully ripe (for example, our cherry and grape tomatoes) while baby vegetables are those that can be harvested before they reach full maturity. Sakata Seed Corporation has been proactively involved in the development and spread of mini & baby vegetables.

In terms of production, distribution and consumption, mini & baby vegetables have distinct advantages over traditional vegetables. For producers, one advantage is that they take less time to grow. Also, they are light and require little labor. For distributors, the advantage is they don't have to be sold piecemeal, so their freshness is easier to maintain. For consumers, they easily fit into the refrigerator and can also be incorporated whole when cooking. Also, use of mini & baby vegetables can reduces the amount of leftovers. For many varieties, the cultivation period in the kitchen garden, especially in container vegetable gardens, is relatively short, and they are quite easy to grow, so it is possible to create new items with these vegetables that weren't possible with traditional ones.

There are many ways to enjoy mini & baby vegetables. They can be cut thinly and used raw in salads, such as with fresh vegetables such as Korinki, thus allowing them to be cooked in ways completely different from traditional vegetables.

The focus for this article is the yumeiro chinese cabbage called Tiny chou chou, can be grown relatively easily in summer, unlike traditional varieties. Just as with traditional chinese cabbage, its juiciness and fresh flavor is ideal for salads (Other vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries have soft downy hair on the surface, while with chinese cabbage, it is underneath the leaves). Tiny chou chou can be used as a baby vegetable before the head formation. After it forms, it can be harvested as mini chinese cabbage, showing the versatility of these vegetables.

Mini-pumpkin, mini chinese cabbage, mini cauliflower: Sakata is committed to producing new and exciting mini & baby vegetables for your dinner table.