山菜

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 山菜 (さんさい) is a noun for edible wild greens or mountain vegetables.
• Basic usage: It describes greens gathered in spring for cooking or fresh wild greens displayed at a shop.
  • 春に採れた山菜を天ぷらにした。 — We fried wild mountain vegetables gathered in spring.
  • 店先に新鮮な山菜が並んでいる。 — Fresh wild greens are displayed in front of the store.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Wild greens and vegetables
  • 山菜 focuses on edible plants gathered from mountains and fields, while 野菜 more broadly includes cultivated vegetables.