Enoki

How to serve enoki by age

6 months+

Finely chopped and mixed into soft foods

Cut off the root end, separate the strands, and cook them thoroughly until soft and steaming hot all the way through. Chop very finely across the strands, or blend, and stir into mashed potato, congee, lentils or a smooth sauce. Serve on a pre-loaded spoon.

Size

Cooked, then very finely chopped or blended and mixed into a mash, purée or sauce. No long strands.

Check before serving

Look for any strands longer than a grain of rice. If you see any, chop or blend it again.

US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.

9 months+

Short soft pieces

Chop well-cooked enoki crosswise into short pieces and mix into rice, soft noodles cut short, scrambled egg (once egg has been introduced) or soup.

Size

Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), chopped across the strands.

Check before serving

Check that no long strands are left, and squash a piece between your thumb and finger: it should squash easily, not feel rubbery.

12 months+

Chopped short in family dishes

Serve well-cooked enoki chopped short in soups, noodle dishes, stir-fries and hot pots. In a hot pot, cook it in the pot until soft and steaming hot all the way through before serving, not just dipped, and never add raw enoki on top of a bowl of hot soup: it won't get hot enough. Keep soy sauce and other salty sauces for the adults' portions.

Size

Short soft pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).

Check before serving

Still check for long strands and chop any you find.

18 months+

Cooked and cut short in dishes

Keep serving enoki cooked through and cut short. Long, chewy strands and whole clusters are hard to chew and easy to swallow without chewing, so keep cutting them down.

Size

Short pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).

Check before serving

Still check that pieces are short, soft and not rubbery.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare enoki

1. 1

   Buy enoki from a store or market, never wild-picked. Check that the pack hasn't been recalled.

2. 2

   Wash your hands before and after handling raw enoki. Keep it away from foods that won't be cooked, and wash the knife, board and surfaces it touched.

3. 3

   Cut off the root end, separate the strands, and rinse them under running water just before cooking.

4. 4

   Cook thoroughly: simmer in soup or broth, or sauté, until soft and steaming hot all the way through. Don't add salt.

5. 5

   Let it cool, then chop finely across the strands (6 months) or into short pieces (9 months+). Check for long strands before serving.

How much to offer

Start with a teaspoon or so of chopped cooked enoki mixed into a familiar food. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of picking out and dropping is normal at first.

Common mistakes

Questions parents ask

If your baby refuses enoki

• Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
• Chop it finely into congee, soup or rice, where the texture is less noticeable.
• Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
• Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing enoki

• Keep raw enoki in its pack in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C), away from foods that won't be cooked. Use it by the date on the pack.
• Cooked enoki keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
• Cooked, chopped enoki can be frozen and used within 3 months, though it turns softer. Thaw it in the fridge, use it within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat it only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it cool before serving.
• Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).