noun
young edible greens; rape seedlings; pinched-off vegetable seedlings
Refers to young, tender leaves or seedlings of vegetables (especially brassica rapa) that are harvested by pinching off. Often used in cooking contexts for lightly seasoned or pickled greens.
春先のつまみ菜は、さっと茹でておひたしにすると美味しい。
Young rape seedlings in early spring are delicious when quickly boiled and served as ohitashi.
畑でつまみ菜を摘んで、味噌汁の具にした。
I picked some young greens in the field and put them in miso soup.
菜の花 refers specifically to the flowering shoots of rapeseed plants, while つまみ菜 refers to the young seedlings or leaves harvested earlier.
間引き菜 are thinned-out seedlings removed to give space to others, whereas つまみ菜 are specifically pinched-off young greens, often from the same plant that will continue to grow.
Compound of つまみ (stem of 摘まむ 'to pinch, pick') + 菜 ('leafy vegetable, greens'). The word describes young vegetable leaves or seedlings harvested by pinching them off with the fingers.