茗荷(ミョウガ) myoga(Japanese ginger)

　庭の一角に、ミョウガの茎(実際は巻いた葉)が伸びていました。しばらく前には、ハナミョウガができていたはずですが、気がつきませんでした。

　ミョウガを食べると馬鹿になると言われています。その根拠は次の故事から来ています。お釈迦さまの弟子の一人がひどく物覚えが悪く、死ぬまで自分の名前を覚えることができませんでした。その後、彼の墓にはミョウガが生えました。

　In one corner of my garden, Japanese ginger stems, actually rolled leaves, were growing. I'm sure there were Hanamyouga, also known simply as myoga, growing a while ago, but I didn't notice them.

　It is said that eating ginger can make you stupid. The basis for this comes from the following legend. One of Buddha's disciples had a terribly bad memory; he could not remember his own name until he died. After his death myoga have grown on his grabe.