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# Kurumi Mochi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kurumi Mochi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Senshu area (Sakai City)
## Main Ingredients Used
Glutinous rice, edamame (soybeans)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Kurumi Mochi is a traditional confectionery that is unique to Sakai. Despite its name, it does not contain any walnuts. The name "Kurumi Mochi" comes from the fact that the rice cake is wrapped in a brownish-red bean paste. It can also be written in Chinese characters as "久留美," which means to keep the taste for a long time. The bean paste is made from edamame or green soybeans, but in mountain villages where rice paddies are scarce, dried soybeans are used instead of edamame.During the Warring States Period, Sakai was a prosperous port for overseas trade. Confectioners in Sakai used agricultural products purchased from overseas to make rice cakes covered with red bean paste, which is said to be the origin of walnut rice cakes. The town was also the birthplace of Sen no Rikyu, the famous tea master of the time. The tea ceremony culture flourished among the wealthy merchants of the time, and walnut mochi were also loved as tea cakes.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Walnut mochi is served at many Japanese confectionery stores throughout the city and is a popular daily snack. It is also popular among tourists as a specialty of Sakai City.
## How to Eat
Pound steamed rice cakes into small balls. After that, remove the soft-boiled edamame, peel off the thin skin, and blend them in a blender. Transfer the mashed edamame into a pot, add sugar and salt, and heat while stirring to make red bean paste. Next, add the rice cake to the red bean paste and mix everything together well. Sometimes soybeans or green soybeans may be used instead of edamame, and sometimes shiratama dumplings may be used instead of rice cakes.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Kanbukuro is a Japanese confectionery store that was founded at the end of the Kamakura period. It is known as the origin of walnut mochi and is still in business today, selling these popular treats. During summer, people line up to try the ice walnut mochi, which is a walnut rice cake topped with shaved ice. Many other Japanese confectionery stores also offer walnut mochi, each with its own unique flavor.
## Ingredients
- (Dried) soybeans: 200g
- Sugar: 75g
- Salt: 1 tbsp.
- Glutinous rice: 1.6 cups
- Water: 250cc
## Recipe
1. 1. First, wash the soybeans thoroughly.
2. 2. Put them in plenty of boiling water and let them simmer for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until they become soft.
3. 3. Next, grind the soybeans in a blender to your desired consistency.
4. 4. Add sugar to the ground soybeans and sweeten to your desired level.
5. 5. Cook glutinous rice in a rice cooker.
6. 6. After cooking, steam the rice well, transfer it to a rice cooker, add salt, and pound it.
7. 7. Roll the cooked rice into small pieces, drop them into the walnut bean paste mixture, and mix thoroughly.
## Provider Information
provider : Yumiko Yamanaka
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# Hamokawa Zakuzaku (Zakuzaku Eel Skin) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Hamokawa Zakuzaku (Zakuzaku Eel Skin)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Osaka
## Main Ingredients Used
Eel skin, cucumber
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In Osaka, a city that has prospered from the shipping and commercial industries since ancient times, a large amount of hamo eel has been sold and distributed. Summer is considered to be the popular season, and it is said that the eel becomes delicious when it drinks the water of the rainy season. Therefore, at the Tenjin Festival held in summer, various side dishes using eel are lined up on the tables.In Osaka, eel is used as a raw material for kamaboko paste. When the flesh of the eel is stripped off to make kamaboko, only the skin remains. The small bones of the skin are removed. Soy sauce is added and it is grilled. Then it is mixed with cucumber and sweet vinegar to make “Zakuzaku Eel Skin”. It is a home-cooked dish unique to Osaka that is full of the "spirit of frugality" that uses even the remaining skin deliciously. It also goes well in summer as it is quite light. The name of the dish "Zakuzaku" is said to be the sound made by cutting cucumbers and the sound of eating this crunchy dish.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is cooked using eel skin sold at kamaboko shops and supermarkets. In addition to being eaten as a home-cooked meal, it is served as a side dish or drink accompaniment at restaurants. It is often made during the Tenjin Festival held in summer.
## How to Eat
Toss the chopped eel skin with sweet vinegar and mix with thinly sliced cucumber that has been salted and drained.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It is passed on by being made in homes and restaurants.
## Ingredients
- Skin (shredded) of eel: 30g
- Cucumber: 1 (100g)
- New ginger: 30g
- Salt: 0.5g
- [Seasoning A] Vinegar: 2 tbsp.
- [Seasoning A] Sugar: 1 tbsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Grill the skin of the fish in a frying pan.
2. 2. Cut the cucumber into thin slices, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, leave for 10 minutes, and squeeze.
3. 3. Cut the new ginger into thin slices.
4. 4. Combine 1~3 ingredients with seasoning A.
## Provider Information
provider : "The Taste of Japan: Naniwa Taste" (Osaka Prefectural Dietary Life Improvement Liaison Council)
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# Stir-boiled Wakagobou (new burdock root) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Stir-boiled Wakagobou (new burdock root)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Kawachi area (Yao City)
## Main Ingredients Used
Wakagobou, deep-fried tofu
## History, Origin, and Related Events
This local dish is a specialty of Yao City made by stir-frying and then boiling deep-fried tofu and wakagobou.Wakagobou is a leafy burdock plant grown mainly in Yao city, and is popular as an ingredient that represents spring since it is harvested in the beginning of the season. Unlike ordinary gobou (burdock root), where only the root is eaten, the leaves, stalk, and new roots of this vegetable are edible. It is known for having a pleasant aroma and crispy texture, and has a high nutritional value containing rutin, iron, and dietary fiber. Gobou is said to have been introduced as a medicinal herb from China in the Heian period, and its cultivation spread as a specialty of Yao City during the Edo period. Shirojikuya Gobou, a leafy variety of the burdock root, came to be cultivated in the middle of the Showa period, and was a variety where the leaves, stems, and roots could all be used. Wakagobou is used in a variety of dishes such as kakiage and pasta, but it is normally stir-boiled.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Because wakagobou is harvested from the end of January until the beginning of April, stir-boiled wakagobou is also eaten during this period. It is enjoyed at home as a side dish or as a snack with alcoholic beverages when it is in season.
## How to Eat
The root of wakagobou is cut into long, thin shavings, the stem is cut into three to four centimeter pieces, and both are rinsed with water to remove any bitter taste. The deep-fried tofu is cut into thin rectangles after the excess oil is removed. The wakagobou root, deep-fried tofu, and stem are quickly stir-fried in that order. They are then seasoned with dashi soup stock, soy sauce, and mirin sweet rice wine.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The wakagobou of Yao City acquired the regional collective trademark under the name "Yao Wakagobou" in August 2013. The city, local JA group, and other organizations are widely promoting it as a regional specialty, and are also making efforts to popularize stir-fried wakagobou through publishing recipes and other methods.
## Ingredients
- Wakagobou: 400g
- Deep-fried tofu: 1.5 pieces
- Vegetable oil: 1.5 tablespoons
- Dashi soup stock: 50cc
- Dark soy sauce: 1.5 tablespoons
- Mirin sweet rice wine: 1.5 tablespoons
## Recipe
1. 1. Slice the root of the wakagobou into thin strips, and the stem into three centimeter pieces before rinsing with water.
2. 2. Cut the deep-fried tofu into thin rectangles after removing any excess oil.
3. 3. Quickly stir-fry the ingredients in the order of root, deep-fried tofu, and then stem. Add in the dashi soup stock, dark soy sauce, and mirin to give the dish a vividly colored finish.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: "Osaka Local Cuisine Collection - The Tradition of Event Foods and Food Culture" (Osaka Prefectural School Lunch Association)
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# Hansukedofu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Hansukedofu
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Osaka City
## Main Ingredients Used
Grilled tofu, hansuke, green onion
## History, Origin, and Related Events
This dish is made by stewing tofu with the head of a grilled eel. It appears in the Kamigata rakugo "Yusanbune" and it's thought that even the general population from ancient times were familiar with this dish.The eel's head is called Hansuke. There are various theories surrounding its origin, such as one strainer of eel's head used to be sold for 50 sen (1／2 yen), so it came to be called Hansuke (han meaning half) of one yen (called ensuke). Another theory is that a man named Hansuke sold the head of eels as well.In Osaka, when making kabayaki (grilled eel), the eel is grilled with a sauce and the body cut open, while the head is attached. The head is then removed after grilling. Although the head is cut off, it was most likely still a food for sale at low price because the flavor of the sauce was already soaked in. When hansuke is stewed with tofu and green onions in a dashi soup stock, an even richer and deeper dashi stock is made that is incredibly delicious. You can even enjoy the small amount of meat from the Hansuke.Hansuke tofu, which makes use of an eel head that is otherwise thrown away, represents a dish that offers a glimpse into the Osaka spirit of "Shimatsu no ryori," where ingredients are used in a zero waste manner.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It has been popular as a dish prepared at home for the general population. It can also be eaten at restaurants throughout the city.
## How to Eat
Soup stock is added to an earthen pot, grilled tofu and seasonings are added next, and the pot is then put on the heat. The Hansuke is added once boiling, and the dish is finished with green onion added in. The ingredients vary between household. In addition, because it has been difficult to find Hansuke in recent years, grilled eel is occasionally used as a substitute.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
This dish is served at eel restaurants throughout the city. It was originally enjoyed as a home-cooked dish, but in recent years, the number of shops selling Hansuke as an ingredient has decreased, so the opportunities to make it at home are also decreasing.
## Ingredients
- Grilled tofu: 1 block (360g)
- Hansuke eel head: 100g
- Green Onion: 30g
- Dashi soup stock: 1 cup
- Sugar: 1.5 tablespoons
- Dark soy sauce: 1.5 tablespoons
- Sake cooking wine: 1 tablespoon
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the grilled tofu into 3x4 centimeter rectangles, and cut the green onion into three centimeter chunks.
2. 2. Add the dashi soup stock to an earthenware pot, add the grilled tofu, sugar, dark soy sauce, and sake before placing the pot on the heat. Once boiling, add in the hansuke, and finish the dish by adding green onion.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: "Osaka Local Cuisine Collection - The Tradition of Event Foods and Food Culture" (Osaka Prefectural School Lunch Association)
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# Akaneko ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Akaneko
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Nakakawachi to Minamikawachi
## Main Ingredients Used
Glutinous rice, flour, kinako (roasted soybean flour)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
This dish is made from steamed glutinous rice and flour, which is then sprinkled with sugar and kinako. It is also referred to as "Hagessho mochi." Because it contains flour, the texture is less sticky compared to just glutinous rice, so you can enjoy a more crispy texture.Hagessho refers to the 11th day of the summer solstice from July second to July seventh. Farmers finish planting rice around this time period, so there was a custom to make "Akaneko" from the harvested wheat collected before planting rice, and the glutinous rice harvested in the previous year. This dish is eaten in appreciation of completing the rice planting and to pray for a good harvest.The homemade flour of that time was brown, since the entire grain was ground into a powder. The resulting mochi was brown, and the appearance of the finished dish resembled "a cat's round back," so it came to be called "Akaneko (neko meaning cat)."
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
This is an event food to be eaten with gratitude towards the end of rice planting.
## How to Eat
Glutinous rice that has soaked in water for one whole day and night before straining, and flour kneaded until it has the soft texture similar to an earlobe by adding liquids like water, are steamed together. Once steamed, the mixture is added to a mochitsuki bowl for preparation, where it is torn and shaped into just the right size and sprinkled with a kinako and sugar blend.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
When Hagessho time approaches, this dish is sold at local confectionary shops and roadside service stations.
## Ingredients
- Glutinous rice: 2 cups
- Flour: 160g
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Water: 190cc
- Sugar: 10g
- Kinako Roasted Soybean Flour: 25g
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the glutinous rice and let it soak in water for one whole day and night, then strain the water.
2. 2. Soak the flour in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Use cake flour when wheat flour is not available. In this case, add water and continue to knead until the dough has the softness of an earlobe, round it out to the size of a fist, and press in the center of the dough a little.
3. 3. Put step one into a steaming basket, place step two on top of this, then steam.
4. 4. Once steamed, transfer it to a mochitsuki bowl and make the mochi.
5. 5. Tear apart the mochi from step four into adequately sized pieces, and sprinkle with a kinako and sugar blend.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by: "Taste of Traditional Osaka; From Parent to Child, and Child to Descendants" (Osaka Prefecture Diet Improvement Liaison Council)
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# White Miso Zoni (New Year’s Soup Dish) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: White Miso Zoni (New Year’s Soup Dish)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All areas of Osaka Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Round mochi, white miso, radish, carrot, taro
## History, Origin, and Related Events
This dish is prepared with white miso soup, round mochi, beautifully cut and arranged daikon radish, carrots, taro, and the like.The history of the Zoni New Year's Soup goes back an incredibly long time, and it's said that it was already eaten even during the Muromachi period. It was served to celebrate the societal elite, but it is said to have spread among the masses and common people during the Edo period.Even today, eating Zoni on New Year's Day is a nationwide custom, but the ingredients and seasonings used vary by region and household. The Zoni variety using round mochi and white miso has been widely popular since long ago, not only in Osaka, but also in the Kansai region. The daikon radish and carrots that make up part of the recipe are cut into round slices. Round ingredients are used because they carry the auspicious meaning of the Japanese saying of, "may we spend our time harmoniously without raising any corners." The "raising corners" refers to the act of causing offense or creating hard feelings.When the New Year's season draws close, supermarkets in Osaka will begin to sell Zoni daikon radish and Kintoki carrots to be used as New Year's vegetables. Zoni daikon is a smaller, thinner daikon variety, and when cut into circles, they happen to be just the right size for a bowl of Zoni soup. The Kintoki carrot is slim in the same way and is also an heirloom vegetable that has been grown in Osaka since long ago.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
This dish is associated with New Year's Day and is eaten during that time. On New Year's Day, the dish is made with white miso, but that is changed to a soy-sauce flavoring called Sumashi-jiru on the second day. Because Osaka is a city of "commerce," it is said that this custom is done to "not lose interest."
## How to Eat
Boil the roundly sliced daikon radish, carrot, and peeled taro in a soup stock before melting in the white miso. Add in the round mochi and simmer lightly to finish the dish.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Even today, Zoni is a classic New Year's Day dish made by every family and inherited by those who eat it.
## Ingredients
- Taro: 2 (80g)
- Grilled Tofu: 1／3 block (100g)
- Daikon radish: 80g
- Carrot: 40g
- Mizuna leaf: 60g
- Round mochi: 4 pieces
- [Seasoning] White Miso: 1 and 1／2 tablespoons
- [Seasoning] Kombu kelp: 10g
- [Seasoning] Flaked bonito: 30g
- Water: 4 cups
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the daikon radish and carrot into 5 millimeter wide circles. (About 3 centimeter diameter)(It's cut thin for the Zoni soup)Peel the taro and cut into one centimeter circles.Cut the mizuna leaf into pieces three centimeters in length.Cut the roasted tofu into bite-sized cubes.
2. 2. Add water to a pot and make a soup stock with the kombu kelp and bonito flakes.
3. 3. Add the daikon radish and carrot to the soup stock, and once it boils, add in the taro and simmer for five to six minutes while removing scum. Add in the round mochi after washing it with water, and simmer over low heat for two to three minutes.
4. 4. Add white miso to step 4 before adding in the grilled tofu to warm it up, and finish the dish by adding in the mizuna leaf last.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: Yumiko Yamanaka
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# Goyori Mame (Goyori and Beans) / Jyako Beans ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Goyori Mame (Goyori and Beans) / Jyako Beans
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Senshu Region to Kawachi Region
## Main Ingredients Used
Soy beans, Goyori dried shrimp and fish
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Goyori Mame or Jyako Beans is a standard dish enjoyed in the Senshu and Kawachi regions. It's made by cooking soy beans and small dried fish and shrimp together for a sweet and salty flavor. It's often called “Jyako Mame” (Jyako Beans) in the Kawachi region.The type of fish and shrimp used in this dish varies from region to region. Small fish and shrimp caught in the sea are used in the Senshu region near Osaka Bay, while the inland Kawachi region uses ingredients caught in the rivers.“Goyori” refers to small sun-dried fish caught in the Osaka Bay. The small fish and shrimp caught in fishing nets used to be sun-dried all together on the sandy beaches that used to line the Senshu seashore until the middle of the Showa era. The portion that could be sold was taken out of the batch, and the remainder was called“ Goyori”.This is a traditional dish that is excellent in terms of nutrition, because it is a combination of calcium-rich fish and protein-rich soybeans.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It was eaten regularly as a conveniently available side dish for families in the past. It was made in bulk and enjoyed when people gathered together.
## How to Eat
Boiled soybeans were cooked together with seasonings like mirin sweet rice wine and soy sauce. To complete the dish, just add in lightly roasted Goyori and cook the mixture until it boils down. Leave the dish overnight, and the flavors soak in and it becomes even more delicious. It's become difficult to find Goyori, so it is sometimes substituted with sakura shrimp.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The recipes have been passed down and made in each household, but the number of households making“ Goyori” Mame has decreased due to how time-consuming it is to make and the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain Goyori. This is because the number of producers of Goyori has also decreased.Every year, the dish is served as a part of school lunch in Hirakata City in the middle of October as a part of the school's food education.
## Ingredients
- Soybeans (dried): 1kg
- Goyori: 100g
- [Seasoning A] Brown or Granulated Sugar: 300g
- [Seasoning A] Sake Rice Wine: 300cc
- [Seasoning A] Mirin Sweet Rice Wine: 300cc
- Soy sauce: 250cc
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the soybeans, while also changing out the water two to three times.
2. 2. Add the washed soybeans to a thick pot and fill with water until the water line is around eight centimeters above the soybeans. Put it on high head without a lid, and turn it down to low once the water boils.
3. 3. After about 30 minutes, add [Seasoning A], continue to cook over low heat (for around 30 minutes), then add soy sauce.
4. 4. Tenderize any hard areas of the Goyori fish, and cook them in a frying pan for around 10 minutes on low heat, then add to step three.Continue simmering for an additional hour on low heat, and turn off the heat once the liquid boils out and a luster can be seen.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: Yumiko Yamanaka
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# Battera ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Battera
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All over Osaka Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
vinegared mackerel, rice
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Oshizushi is made by layering thinly sliced vinegared mackerel and shiroita konbu on top of vinegared rice and pressing them in a wooden frame.In contrast to the nigirizushi of the Edo period (1603-1867), pressed sushi in a box or wooden frame is the norm in the Kansai region. Battera is the most popular taste among them. It is a local dish filled with Osaka's unique culture of pressed sushi and kelp, and is very familiar to residents of the prefecture.Battera was invented in 1894 by a restaurant called "Sushi Tsune" in Minami-Semba. The name "battera," which means "small boat" in Portuguese, was derived from the boat-like shape of the half-meat sushi, which was originally made from konoshiro (whitebait) commonly caught in Osaka Bay. The name "batterella" was derived from the Portuguese word for "small boat." It was gradually replaced by the inexpensive mackerel, and the square box shape was also used for the pressed molds. In Osaka, shiroita-konbu is sometimes called batterella-konbu.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is available at restaurants in the city, as well as at supermarkets and convenience stores at reasonable prices. Because it can be eaten without soy sauce, it is also useful as a takeout or souvenir.
## How to Eat
Pour the vinegar over the cooked rice, mix quickly to break up the rice, and allow to cool. Remove the skin from the vinegared mackerel, remove the inside bone, and slice the mackerel into thin strips. Arrange the sliced mackerel in a wooden frame, fill with the vinegared rice, and press the top board. Remove from the wooden crate, wrap in vinegar-moistened shiroita-konbu, cut into pieces, and garnish with amazu ginger. It does not need to be dipped in soy sauce.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Sushi is served at sushi restaurants and retail stores throughout the prefecture, and is a popular daily staple. It is also popular among tourists as a souvenir of Osaka. Sushi Tsune, the originator of BATTERA, once closed its doors, but in 2016, the fourth generation of the family revived the restaurant.
## Ingredients
- vinegared mackerel: 300g
- rice: 2 1／2 cups
- Shiroita konbu: 6g
- vinegar: Less than 4 tbsp (54 ml)
- sugar: 5 tbsp (45g)
- salt: Less than 2 tsp (9g)
- sweet vinegar ginger: 8g (8g)
- Dashi Kombu (kelp): 10g
## Recipe
1. 1. Increase the amount of water in the rice by 10%. Add dashi kelp and soak the rice in water and cook normally.
2. 2. Mix vinegar (180 ml vinegar, 150 g sugar, and 30 g salt per 1.4 kg of rice), transfer the cooked rice to a rice drainer, pour the vinegar mixture over the rice, mix it as if cutting the rice, and cool quickly.
3. 3. Remove the skin from the mackerel, remove the inside bone, cut into thin strips, and separate the back and belly.
4. 4. Lay the leaf orchids on the bottom of the wooden frame, back side down, fill with rice, and press down with the top board. Remove from the wooden crate, wrap in vinegar-moistened shiroita-konbu, cut into pieces, and garnish with amazu ginger.
## Provider Information
provider : "A Taste of Japan, A Taste of Naniwa" (Osaka Prefecture Dietary Improvement Liaison Council)
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# Kujira no harihari nabe ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kujira no harihari nabe
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All over Osaka Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Whale meat, potherb mustard
## History, Origin, and Related Events
This nabe combines whale meat, which was once a familiar food for the common people, and potherb mustard, which has been cultivated mainly in the Kansai region since ancient times. The whale soup stock is mixed with the potherb mustard and is very tasty. It is said to have originated at Tokuya, a whale restaurant established in 1967 in Sennichimae, Osaka, and has been loved by Osaka residents as a winter delicacy. It is said that the name "hari-hari-nabe" comes from the sound of hari-hari-hari when eating potherb mustard.Whale meat is now a luxury item, but when whaling was popular in Japan, it was one of the most inexpensive meats available and was a familiar source of protein for the common people. The proximity to Taiji in Wakayama Prefecture, one of the largest whaling bases in Japan, made the distribution of whale meat in Osaka very prosperous in the past, and a culinary culture using whale meat flourished. However, since the cessation of commercial whaling in the 1980s, whale meat has become difficult to obtain and is now increasingly substituted with other meats such as pork (commercial whaling will resume in 2019).
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Because potherb mustard is in season in winter, and because it is a warming nabe dish, it is popular as a cold-weather meal.
## How to Eat
Add plenty of potherb mustard and whale meat to the pot with bonito flakes and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. To enjoy the crispy texture of the potherb mustard, it is best to eat it when it is cooked quickly. You may add powdered sansho (Japanese pepper) or shichimi (seven spice) to taste. Ingredients and seasonings vary from household to household and from restaurant to restaurant.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Tokuya, which is said to be the originator of whale Harikari-nabe, has been promoting the appeal of whale food culture as an ancient Japanese food culture both domestically and internationally, but closed in 2019 when commercial whaling resumed after a 30-year interval.Even today, when whale meat is hard to come by, there are still restaurants scattered throughout the prefecture that offer whale dishes, and you can still taste whale hari-hari-nabe. Although not necessarily made with whale meat, hari hari nabe itself is widely known as a specialty of Osaka and is served at many restaurants and eaten by tourists.
## Ingredients
- Whale meat (red meat): 400g
- Potherb mustard (kyona): 800g
- water: 6 cups
- Shaved bonito: 60g
- Seasoning A] Sake: 2／3 cup
- Seasoning A] Soy sauce: 1／2 cup or more
- Seasoning A] Sugar: 6 tbsp.
- Seasoning A] Mirin: 2 tbsp.
- ground ginger: as needed
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut potherb mustard into 4-5 cm lengths.
2. 2. Bring water to a boil, add shaved bonito, simmer over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes while removing the roughness, and strain to make a thick broth.
3. 3. Bring 2 and [Seasoning A] to a boil and add whale meat.
4. 4. When 3 comes to a boil, add potherb mustard.
5. 5. When potherb mustard is quickly cooked, put it in a small bowl with whale meat and broth, and serve hot with grated ginger. （Serve hot with grated ginger. (You may sprinkle shichimi pepper or powdered Japanese pepper on top if you like.)
## Provider Information
provider : "Osaka's Local Cooking - Event Food and Tradition of Food Culture" (Osaka Prefectural School Lunch Association)
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# Bara zushi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Bara zushi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All over Osaka Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
rice, dried baby sardines, lotus root, carrots, dried tofu, dried shiitake mushrooms, burdock root, kinusaya (a type of perennial vine), eggs
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Gomoku-zushi is made by chopping up ingredients such as conger eel and shiitake mushrooms and mixing them into sushi rice.According to one theory, bara-zushi originated in Okayama Prefecture, where the common people protested against the Edo period feudal lord's prohibition of "one soup and one vegetable" in order to be frugal and thrifty.In the Kanto region, sashimi and other ingredients are often placed on top of sushi rice and called "chirashi-zushi," while in the Kansai region, finely chopped ingredients are mixed into sushi rice and called "bara-zushi. Recipes vary from household to household, but sashimi is not an essential ingredient. Because it is easy to prepare and makes the dining table more colorful, it is a popular menu item for men and women of all ages.In Osaka, barazushi that is left over after being made in large quantities is steamed the next day and eaten as "steamed zushi (hot zushi). This shows the wisdom of the people of Osaka, who enjoy leftovers.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is a staple dish often prepared for celebrations, festivals, and other special occasions. It is eaten throughout the year regardless of the season.
## How to Eat
Make sushi rice. Chop cooked vegetables, dried tofu, shiitake mushrooms, etc., mix them into the sushi rice, and serve in a bowl. Sprinkle with broiled egg and vinegared ginger or red ginger.It is also delicious with vinegared lotus root, chikuwa or deep-fried tofu as garnish.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
In addition to being enjoyed as a daily meal at home, it is also served at sushi restaurants and other eateries throughout Osaka Prefecture. Ingredients, arrangement, seasoning, etc. are arranged in various ways.
## Ingredients
- Sushi rice A] rice vinegar: 4 tbsp.
- Sushi rice A] Sugar: 3 tbsp.
- Sushi rice A] salt: 1 tsp.
- Sushi rice A] Kelp tea: 1／2 tsp.
- Ingredients] Shrimp and baby sardines: 100g
- Ingredient B] Bonito stock: 1／2 cup
- Ingredient B] light soy sauce: 1／2 tbsp.
- Ingredient B] sugar: 1 tsp.
- Ingredient B] salt: A pinch
- Ingredient B] salt: A pinch
- KANPYO (dried gourd): 10g
- Carrot: 1／2
- Dried shiitake mushroom: 3 pieces
- Koya-Tofu: 2 pieces
- Boiled mushrooms: 100g
- dried baby sardines: 2 tbsp.
- Vinegar: 1 tsp
- salt: 1 tsp
- kinshi egg: As needed
- decoration] red ginger: Appropriate amount
- decoration] cucumber: 1／2 cucumber
- decoration] Chopped nori (laver): As needed
- Seasoning C] Kelp dashi: 1 cup
- Seasoning C] Shiitake mushroom stock: 1 cup
- Seasoning C] Light soy sauce: 1 tbsp.
- Seasoning C] dark soy sauce: 1 tbsp.
- Seasoning C] Sugar: 2 tbsp.
- Seasoning C] Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine): 2 tsp.
- Seasoning C] Sake: 2 tsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Cook rice in a rice cooker with the amount of water for sushi rice. When rice is cooked, add vinegar [Sushi-rice A] and make sushi rice.
2. 2. Soak carrots and dried shiitake mushrooms in water and cut into 1 cm strips.
3. 3. Rub kanpyo with salt, rinse in cold water, and cut into 5mm pieces. 3. Soak koya-tofu in water, cut into 1 cm pieces, and then into smaller pieces (about 3 mm in width). Cut boiled bamboo shoots in the same way.
4. 4. Peel the shrimp and baby sardines and cook with the seasonings in [Ingredient B] until cooked through. They will curl up when cooked.
5. 5. Bring [Seasoning C] to a boil in a saucepan, add carrot, dried gourd, dried shiitake mushroom, dried tofu, and boiled bamboo shoots, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed.
6. 6. Soak the cooked baby sardines in vinegar.
7. 7. Cut the egg, red ginger and cucumber into thin strips.
8. 8. Add the ingredients from step 5 and the drained chirimenjako (dried baby sardines) to the sushi rice from step 1.
9. 9. Arrange 8 ingredients in a bowl and garnish with shrimp and baby sardines, egg, red ginger, cucumber, and chopped nori.
## Provider Information
provider : Yumiko Yamanaka
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# Jakogouko ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Jakogouko
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Senshu area
## Main Ingredients Used
Old pickled Senshu water eggplant, shrimp and baby sardines
## History, Origin, and Related Events
This is a local dish made by soaking local specialty Senshu mizu-nasu in a bed of salted water, removing the salt, and cooking them with small prawns in a sweet and spicy sauce. In some areas, it is also called "jako-nasu. It has long been eaten in the Senshu area in southern Osaka Prefecture.In the Senshu area, "jako" means shrimp jako (small shrimp) and "kouko" means pickles. Ebijako is a shrimp similar to shiba-ebi (small shrimp) caught in Osaka Bay, and is characterized by its ability to produce a good broth. The old pickles are made by soaking the eggplant in a highly salted bed of rice bran for two to three months to allow fermentation to continue. The flavor of the shrimp soaks into the eggplant and goes well with both rice and sake. It is also an excellent source of calcium and protein.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The old pickled eggplants picked in summer and soaked for several months are used, so the best time to eat it is from the end of summer to fall.
## How to Eat
Cut the old pickled eggplant into bite-sized pieces, soak in water to remove salt, and boil in boiling water. Put the old pickled eggplant and boiled pickles in boiling soup stock, add soy sauce and mirin, and simmer slowly. Add a little sugar to taste.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Although opportunities to make jakogoko at home are decreasing due to changes in eating habits and lifestyles, it is still popular as a local dish unique to Osaka and Senshu. Local farms produce their own original jako-goko and sell it nationwide via the Internet.
## Ingredients
- Old pickled Senshu water eggplant: 3 pieces
- Clay ginger (shredded): to taste
- Prawns and baby sardines (heads and tails removed): 100 g
- [Seasoning A] Soy sauce: 2 tbsp.
- [Seasoning A] Sake: 1 tbsp. or more
- [Seasoning A] Mirin: 1 tbsp. or more
- Dashi stock: 2 cups
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the old pickled fountainhead eggplant in half lengthwise and divide each half into 4 pieces; soak in water for 2 to 3 hours.
2. 2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add (1) and boil. Remove from cold water, soak in cold water until a little of the bran and saltiness remains, then drain in a colander and squeeze lightly.
3. 3. Put broth and seasoning A in a saucepan, bring to a boil, add ginger, prawns and eggplant, and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.
## Provider Information
provider : Yumiko Yamanaka
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# Senshumizunasu no asazuke ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Senshumizunasu no asazuke
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Senshu area
## Main Ingredients Used
Senshu water eggplant
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Senshu mizu-nasu is a brand-name vegetable representative of the Senshu area, which stretches across southern Osaka. These eggplants are pickled in bran or pickling seasoning for a short period of time.Compared to other eggplants, Senshu mizu-nasu has a plump, rounded shape, and its skin is thin and soft. As its name suggests, the eggplant has so much moisture that water drips down when squeezed tightly, and it is characterized by its freshness with a hint of sweetness. It can be eaten raw as it has little acridity, but it is most often eaten as a pickle in a bed of salted rice bran or in a seasoning solution. The most popular type of pickled eggplant is asazuke, in which the freshness of the eggplant can be enjoyed.The Senshu area is blessed with moderate temperature and humidity near the sea, making it ideal for growing mizu-nasu, and it is said that mizu-nasu will not grow as well as mizu-asu grown in other areas. Mizunasu has been cultivated in the Senshu area since the early Edo period. Because of its thin skin, it is not suitable for transportation, and when made into pickles, the skin turns a dull brown color. Subsequently, the variety was improved, and a variety with a brightly colored skin appeared, making Senshu mizu nasu asazuke (pickled eggplant) widely known throughout the country.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is said that farmers in the old days planted mizu-nasu in a corner of their fields to rehydrate themselves when thirsty between field work. Harvest time is from April to November, and the season is summer.Mizunasu pickles are eaten daily by local households.
## How to Eat
Wash, drain, and marinate Senshu mizu-nasu in rice bran or pickling seasoning for a short period of time (one to several days). For best flavor and texture, cut off the hefty part of the eggplant, cut a slit in the eggplant, and split it lengthwise by hand. It can be served with bonito flakes, ground sesame seeds, soy sauce, etc., if desired.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
In addition to being made and enjoyed at home, it is also sold at agricultural produce markets and pickle stores, and is widely popular as a local specialty of the Senshu area.
## Ingredients
- Senshu Water Eggplant: 5 pcs.
- salt: 2 tbsp.
- bed of salted rice bran: Appropriate amount
- [bed of salted rice bran] Rice bran: 4 kg (to be prepared for sterilization)
- [bed of salted rice bran] Salt: 1.3gou
- [bed of salted rice bran] Kelp tea: 2 tbsp.
- [bed of salted rice bran] beer: 1 liter
- [bed of salted rice bran] Cooling water: Appropriate amount
- [bed of salted rice bran] Umami seasoning: 2 tbsp.
- [bed of salted rice bran] chopped red pepper: 2 tbsp.
- [bed of salted rice bran] Myouban: 1 tbsp.
- [bed of salted rice bran] soil ginger: 1 sprig
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash and drain the eggplant.
2. 2. Rub salt evenly into the eggplant.
3. 3. Put the eggplants in a bed of salted rice bran.
## Provider Information
provider : Yumiko Yamanaka
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# Sansho no Tsukudani (Japanese Pepper simmered with soy sauce) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Sansho no Tsukudani (Japanese Pepper simmered with soy sauce)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Yabu City Youka-cho Asakura (Asakura ‘Sansho’=Japanese Pepper), Kobe City (Arima ‘Sansho’=Japanese Pepper)
## Main Ingredients Used
Asakura Sansho, Arima Sansho
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Sansho (=Japanese Pepper) is a kind of spices and used in various Japanese cuisines as seasoning. It is said that Sansho was delivered from China in Heian Era (AD794-AD1192) and it was written in many historical records like ‘Gishi Wajinden’ or ‘Kojiki’. Currently Asakura Sansho is dominant in the market, and Arima Sansho can rarely be seen. Sansho is typically cooked as ‘Tsukudani’, simmered with soy sauce, sake and ‘Mirin’ (=sweet rice wine).Asakura Sansho is grown in Yabu City Youka-cho Asakura area. The tree doesn’t have thorns and bears bigger fruits with great fragrance. Its name came from the area grown and the name of powerful regional families in the area. People offered ‘sansho’ to the ‘Bakufu’ (samurai government) in Edo Period. (AD1603-AD1868) Many locals cooked ‘Sansho no Tsukudani’ with Asakura Sansho at home until around 1965, but many manufacturers have started selling one as the demand of spices has increased since around 1975. The dish won the best award at ‘Local specialty recommended by the municipality government’ section of the ‘Local Specialty of the Year’, competition supported by the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, in 2017.Arima Sansho is grown in Arima area. Unlike Asakura Sansho, its brunches have sharp thorns. Its fruits have great fragrance and strong spicy flavor. There are many Japanese dishes named with ‘Arima’ using Arima Sansho, but actually Asakura Sansho is used in most of dishes. Local homes in Arima area kept food culture eating Arima Sansho until around 1965, but now it’s in danger of extinction. It can be because the locals who knew where Arima Sansho trees were didn’t tell anyone where to find ones, so no one could promote about the Sansho to outside of the area. In 2009, however, the project to revive the tradition of Arima Sansho was launched to walk in the Arima area to find wild Sansho trees. Local farmers started to grow Sansho in 2013, and the movement to prevail Arima Sansho is getting active.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Asakura Sansho is at its peak of harvest from mid-May to late May. The locals cook the dish during this time. Regarding Arima Sansho, there are three timings in a year to harvest; flowers in the early May, fruits in June and ripen fruits in July-August to make powder Sansho.
## How to Eat
Boil seasonings like soy sauce, sake and ‘Mirin’ (=sweet rice wine). Add ‘Sansho’ (=Japanese pepper), then boil again and simmer until the liquid is almost gone. Served on top of cooked rice, or as a condiment for chilled tofu.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)Field specialty product and shipping association in Yabu City collaborates with Osaka University to start ‘Revive our community project”, and develop and sell seasonings and miso using Asakura Sansho.
## Ingredients
- Mizansho (=Unripe Japanese pepper): 500g
- Soy sauce: 1cup (240g)
- Sake: 1／2 cup (100g)
- Mirin(=sweet rice wine): 3／4 cup (180g)
- Sugar: If you add some sweetness
## Recipe
1. 1. [Pre-cook](1)Pick Sansho (=Japanese pepper) fruits with hand, then clean and rinse them. Boil the fruits with plenty of hot water. (About 15mins for young fruits, 30mins for old ones)(2)Soak them into cold water immediately. Keep soaking for a half day with changing water.(3)Drain them on a strainer, and remove liquid with cotton cloth or paper towel. You can divide the fruits into some portions and freeze them to cook whenever you want. (It tastes better than to freeze cooked one.)
2. 2. [How to cook](1)Put Sansho (=Japanese pepper) fruits and seasonings into a pan and heat. Take the lid out when boiling, then simmer a while with weak heat.(2)Warm over sometimes until the liquid is almost gone, and serve. Add sugar if you make it sweeter.How to freeze and storePut a pinch of salt into boiled water, then parboil Sansho fruits for 10 seconds. Drain well, then spread them on a strainer to cool down quickly. Divide into small portions and wrap with plastic wrap and freeze. You can use it for ‘Chirimen Sansho’ (=Dried small sardine with Japanese pepper simmered with soy sauce), simmered fish or salted kelp.
## Provider Information
provider : Hyogo Prefecture Home Cooking Research Group (Makiko Katayose, Kaoru Sakamoto, Harumi Sakuda, Noriko Tanaka, Shinobu Tominaga, Kozue Nakatani, Tomoko Hara, Sachiko Honda)
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# Kobe Beef Steak ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kobe Beef Steak
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Kobe
## Main Ingredients Used
Kobe beef
## History, Origin, and Related Events
‘Kobe Beef Steak’, grilled beef on an iron plate flavored with salt and pepper and served with steak sauce or mustard, is famous overseas, too. Actually, however, there is no breed called ‘Kobe beef’. Kobe beef is actually ‘Tajima Ushi’, grown in Tajima Area in Hyogo Prefecture. We designate ‘Tajima Ushi’ beef as ‘Kobe Beef’ when ‘Tajima Ushi’ grown in Hyogo Prefecture was slaughtered at slaughtering centers in the prefecture and meets the strict standards. ‘Tajima Ushi’ was originally used for agricultural purposes in Tajima area, facing the Japan Sea. It became well-known as ‘Kobe Beef’ because Yokohama Port opened in 1859. Beef was originally imported for foreign visitors to Japan, but 30~40 of ‘Tajima Ushi’ was sold per one foreign ship at Kobe Port and sent to Yokohama Port as it wasn’t enough. ‘Tajima Ushi’ got favorable reputation among foreigners, then it became widespread as ‘Kobe Beef’. After Kobe Port was open, habit of eating beef started prevailing. In addition, there were many farms build in Yabu-gun Ueno-mura and Shitsumi-gun Ohzasa-mura to increase breeding the beef, and Toyooka City and Hyogo Prefecture supported it.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
This is not a daily dish at home, but served as a special dish at restaurants.
## How to Eat
Put beef tallow on an iron plate or pan. Fry garlic, then place beef. Season with salt and pepper and grill it. Enjoy the steak with sauce or mustard.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)In 2015, ‘Kobe Beef’ and ‘Tajima Ushi’ were registered to ‘GI System’, which protects local products and food as an intellectual property. In addition, ‘Kobe Beef Gallery’ was open in 2019 to promote Kobe Beef.
## Ingredients
- Kobe beef sirloin: 200g
- Salt: As needed
- Pepper: As needed
- Mushrooms: As needed
- Spinach: As needed
- Onion: As needed
- Carrot: As needed
- Butter: As needed
- [A] Sesame oil: 1／2 tsp.
- [A] Canola oil: 1／2 tsp.
- [To taste] Garlic chips: As needed
- [To taste] ‘Ponzu’ (mixed with citrus juice and soy sauce), green onion: As needed
- [To taste] Garlic sauce: As needed
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut off fat from the beef. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the both side of beef thoroughly for seasoning. Fry mushrooms and spinach with butter. Slice onions and soak them. Cut carrots into bite-size, then boil.
2. 2. Put the ingredient [A], then grill the fat from 1 with weak-middle heat. Place the beef onto the melted fat, then grill both side with weak-middle heat.
3. 3. Grill the side of meat.
4. 4. Cut the meat, then serve it with vegetables prepared in 1. Add garlic chips, ‘Ponzu’, salt, green onion, garlic sauce for flavor if you like.
## Provider Information
provider : ‘Gyu-an’
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# Hamo Suki ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Hamo Suki
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Awaji-Shima
## Main Ingredients Used
Hamo (=Sea eel), onion
## History, Origin, and Related Events
‘Hamo Suki’ is a famous hotpot in Awaji Island and simmered sea ell and onion locally grown in Awaji Island with Dashi (=broth). ‘Hamo’ grown in Awaji Island has thin and soft skin because of muddy and soft seabed, and its meat quality is good with rich flavor due to the effect from Naruto Strait. It is one of the features of summer because it becomes fatty from early summer to prepare for bearing eggs in autumn. Onion in Awaji Island is the harvest season as well when Hamo is in season. Hamo’s simple flavor from juicy white meat and sweetness from local onion match great with dashi (=broth), and the combination of ingredients makes ‘Hamo Suki’ tasty.Fish caught in Awaji Island became available in the market in Osaka, Sakai, or Amagasaki although when there wasn’t effective method to keep fish cool, after Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Japanese samurai governor, opened the fish market in Osaka called ‘Zakoba’. People could deliver Hamo while it’s alive as it has strong vitality. As Osaka and Kyoto had been getting prosperous as a merchant city, many restaurants started to serve it. Hamo has been vital fish at ‘Gion Festival’ in Kyoto and ‘Tenjin Festival’ in Osaka until now.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It’s best to eat from early summer to autumn because it gets fattier for bearing eggs and grows to 70~80cm (27~31 inches) in length, 700~1000g in weight.
## How to Eat
Pour ‘dashi’ (=broth) into a pan, then add sake, mirin (=sweet rice wine) and soy sauce. Add onion from Awaji Island and other vegetables. Cut bones of Hamo and chop into bite-size, then put into the pan to simmer.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)Minami-Awaji City offers ‘Hamo Suki’ kit as a return gift for ‘Furusato Nouzei’ (Hometown Tax system), and has been working to develop new menu using Hamo to become ‘Sanctuary of Hamo’ to promote Hamo to younger generation.
## Ingredients
- Hamo (=Sea eel): 1
- Onion: 2
- Shungiku: 1 bundle
- Mitsuba: 1 bundle
- Tofu: 1
- Soumen noodle: 2 bundles
- [A] Kombu (=kelp): 20cm (8inches)
- [A] Bonito flakes: 20g
- [A] Water: 1L
- [B] Soy sauce: 50ml
- [B] Mirin (=sweet rice wine): 20ml
- [B] Sake: 20ml
## Recipe
1. 1. Clear Hamo. Cut bones and chop into bite-size.
2. 2. Make broth with [A] and add [B] for flavor.
3. 3. Cut onion into half, then slice into 1cm (0.4 inch) thin of round cut. Divide Shungiku and Mitsuba bundles into three. Cut tofu. Boil Somen noodle until it gets al-dente.
4. 4. Pour broth into a clay pot. Put bones to add flavor to the broth. (Take it out from the pot later and eat.)
5. 5. Add onion, Shungiku, Mitsuba and tofu to the broth. Add Hamo once broth gets boiling. Ready to serve once the ingredients are cooked.
6. 6. Add Somen noodle once you finish the pot, then enjoy with broth.
## Provider Information
provider : Hyogo Prefecture Izumi-kai
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# Miso Dare Gyoza/ Miso Dumplings ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Miso Dare Gyoza/ Miso Dumplings
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Kobe City
## Main Ingredients Used
Pork, beef, Napa cabbage, Cabbage, Garlic chives, Green onions
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In Kobe, it is common to eat "miso-dare gyoza," which are pan-fried dumplings served with a miso-based sauce consisting of vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil. Before World War II, among Japanese residents who lived in Manchuria, pan-fried gyoza was preferred over boiled ones which are similar to Chinese water dumplings. Many families in Kobe used to eat pan-fried gyoza with miso sauce due to nostalgia for their hometown. After the war, a man who had returned from Manchuria opened a restaurant in Shin-Kaihoku, Kobe, serving pan-fried gyoza with miso sauce. This became popular among returnees, spreading to other eateries. The original gyoza at the restaurant called "Gyoza En," considered the origin of miso-dare gyoza, uses a filling made from Kobe pork with a hint of Kobe beef. It is served with the restaurant's original miso sauce. In 2014, it was selected as a "Five-Star Hyogo" product, recognized by the prefecture for embodying both the regional characteristics and innovation of the Hyogo Five Countries.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
As the main ingredient, Chinese cabbage, is in season during the winter, gyoza is considered especially delicious during this season. People make gyoza at home and enjoy them with a miso-based sauce. Additionally, many ramen and Chinese restaurants in the city provide miso sauce for dipping gyoza. Throughout the year, gyoza is enjoyed not only as a regular meal but also as a convenient and popular snack with drinks.
## How to Eat
Enjoy the grilled gyoza by dipping them into a miso-based sauce. The miso sauce is made by combining miso with sugar, soy sauce, sake, and optionally, chili oil or garlic soy sauce, vinegar, and other ingredients.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)To make it easy for home cooking, pre-packaged miso sauce for gyoza is available. Gyoza has gained attention as a B-class gourmet (Popular street food) and has been featured in various media, including television.
## Ingredients
- Gyoza (Pan-fried Dumplings): 20
- Miso: 3 tbsp.
- Soy sauce: 3 tbsp.
- Vinegar: 3 tbsp.
- Sugar: 3 tsp.
- Chili oil: 3 tsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Mix miso, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chili oil to make miso sauce.
2. 2. Pan-fry the gyoza and enjoy them with the miso sauce.
## Provider Information
Recipes vary depending on the region and home.
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# Kajiya Nabe ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kajiya Nabe
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Miki City
## Main Ingredients Used
Octopus, Eggplant
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Miki City, known as the birthplace of metalworking in Japan, has its origins dating back approximately 1,500 years. The town has produced skilled craftsmen alongside the development of blacksmithing. "Kajiya-nabe" (blacksmith's hot pot) is said to have been favored by blacksmiths to boost their energy during the summer. During the Meiji and Taisho eras, it originated when itinerant merchants came to the village, selling octopus caught off the coast of Akashi and eggplants in season, which were then simmered in dashi and soy sauce. It was appreciated for cooling the overheated bodies of the artisans who worked with fire. While it fell out of favor for a time, around 1990, it was reevaluated as a regional specialty and became available for consumption in the city, although it is not currently offered in restaurants.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The peak season for the main ingredient of "Kajiya-nabe," which is octopus, is from June to August. Particularly, late July is considered to have the best flavor as the octopuses are gathering strength and nutrients in preparation for spawning.
## How to Eat
Combine dashi (Japanese soup stock), mirin(sweet rice sake), sake, soy sauce, and sugar to create a simmering broth. Once it comes to a boil, add octopus and eggplant, then simmer until cooked through.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)At Michi-no-Eki Miki, they offer "Kajiya Nabe Gourmet," an adaptation of Kajiya Nabe featuring dishes like Sukiyaki-style, Kajiya Nabe Tendon, and Kajiya Nabe Curry.
## Ingredients
- Octopus: 1／2
- Eggplant: 4
- [Warishita(Soup Soy Sauce)] Soy sauce: 100cc
- [Warishita(Soup Soy Sauce)] Water: 100cc
- [Warishita(Soup Soy Sauce)] Mirin(sweet rice sake): 150cc
- [Warishita(Soup Soy Sauce)] Sugar: 4-5 tbsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces. (If using raw octopus, place in boiling water to cook first and reserve 100c boiled water for the broth instead of regular water listed above.)
2. 2. Cut the eggplant into small pieces.
3. 3. Once the mixed ingredients come to a boil, add the octopus and eggplant. Simmer over medium heat.
## Provider Information
provider : Izumi Association in Hyogo Prefecture
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# Kasu-jiru (Soup with a sake lees base) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kasu-jiru (Soup with a sake lees base)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All areas in the prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Sake lees, daikon radish, carrots, taro, burdock root, deep-fried tofu, konjac, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
“Kasu-jiru” is a local dish which consists of daikon radish, carrots, burdock root, konjac, and other ingredients simmered in sake lees, a byproduct of sake brewing process. Fish, such as salmon, yellowtail, and mackerel are also sometimes added to this dish. Sake lees are often consumed in mountainous areas during the cold winter months. People who work in sake brewing areas bring sake lees back home as a souvenir. Hyogo Prefecture is the largest producer of sake in Japan, with the Nada-Gogo area accounting for around 30% of the country's sake production and more than 60% of the nation's cultivation of Yamada-Nishiki, the king of sake rice. The history of sake in Japan is long, with the Harimakuni Fudoki, written 1,300 years ago, mentioning sake made with rice koji. Sake lees have also been used since the Heian period as a way to preserve fish and vegetables. Sake lees are rich in yeast, protein, vitamins, and minerals, making them a nourishing food. The custom of eating kasu-jiru on January 20, the last day of the New Year celebration, involves making broth from the heads and bones of salmon and amberjack, which were eaten during the New Year, and simmering them with sake lees and vegetables to celebrate the end of the season.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In addition to being eaten during the last day of the New Year celebration on January 20, sake lees also appear on the dinner table during the cold winter months as a nourishing and warming meal.
## How to Eat
Various vegetables, including daikon radish, burdock root, and carrot, are simmered in broth with deep-fried tofu and seasoned with miso and sake lees. Salmon, yellowtail, mackerel, and konjac can also be added for extra flavor.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
In addition to being eaten at home, kasu-jiru is also served as a school lunch menu item. A freeze-dried version of kasu-jiru is sold by Hakusetsu Shokuhin and has been selected as one of “the Five-Star Hyogo products”.
## Ingredients
- Daikon radish: 40g
- Carrot: 20g
- Burdock root: 20g
- Taro: 2 or 3 pieces
- Konjac: 1／2
- Deep-fried tofu: 1 piece
- Sake lees: 40g
- Miso: 2 tbsp.
- Boiled dried fish: As much as you like
- Green onion: 1
- Salmon or salted mackerel may be added.:
## Recipe
1. 1. Make soup stock with dried sardines. Cut daikon radish, carrot, burdock, taro, deep-fried tofu, and konjac into thin squares and simmer together.
2. 2. Dissolve sake lees in the soup and season with miso. Finally, sprinkle finely chopped green onion.
## Provider Information
provider : Mikata-gun Lifestyle Research Group Liaison Council
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# Tofumeshi (Tofu and Rice) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Tofumeshi (Tofu and Rice)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Oyama district of Tamba-Sasayama
## Main Ingredients Used
Tofu, rice, mackerel (boiled in water and canned), burdock root, carrots, deep-fried tofu
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The dish is called "tofumeshi (tofu and rice)," in which ingredients such as boiled tofu, carrots, burdock root, and mackerel boiled in water are fried and mixed with freshly cooked rice. It is a regional dish handed down from about 120 years ago in the Oyama district of Tamba-Sasayama. During gatherings in the region, preparing food for a crowd of people was no laughing matter, so it was suggested that seniors should prepare something by mixing side dishes with rice. It is said that the dish was born out of that suggestion. Regardless of being a village in a mountain valley, the village had mackerel. The reason the village had mackerel was that it obtained mackerel pickled in salt. It obtained mackerel pickled in salt because one of the "mackerel highways," which were routes to transport fish such as mackerel from Wakasa Bay to Kyoto, led to this region.During the slack season for farmers in the Tamba district beginning in the middle of the Edo period, many seasonal brewers would go to the sake breweries in Nada to work away from home. It is said that when those brewers would depart, tofumeshi (tofu and rice) would be packed in the box lunches that hung from their waists.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The dish is prepared for and served at athletic meets, important ceremonial occasions, and gatherings in the district.
## How to Eat
Use canned mackerel boiled in water, which you can easily use, not raw mackerel. Fry ingredients such as carrots, burdock root, deep-fried tofu, and boiled tofu. Season them with a soy sauce base. Place them over freshly cooked rice. Let everything steam. Then mix everything together.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The dish is served as a set meal at the restaurant at Shin Tambaso, an accommodation facility in the city. The ingredients of “tofumeshi” in sealed plastic pouches are sold at stores. Also, the dish is served as a school lunch.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 2 go (1 go = 0.18 liters)
- Firm tofu (hardened): 200g
- Burdock root: 80g
- Carrots: 30g
- Deep-fried tofu: 20g
- Canned mackerel boiled in water: 80g
- Oil: 1 tsp.
- Soy sauce: 2 tbsp.
- Sake: 1 tsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the rice. Cook it with your usual amount of water.
2. 2. Boil the firm tofu really well (about 40 minutes). Drain it in a colander.
3. 3. Cut the carrots lengthwise into 3-centimeter strips. Shave off the skin of the burdock root, shave the root into slivers, soak the slivers in water, remove the scum, and drain the water. Cut the deep-fried tofu lengthwise into 3-centimeter strips.
4. 4. Pour oil into a pot and heat it. Put the burdock root, the carrots, and the deep-fried tofu into the pot in that order. Fry the ingredients.
5. 5. When the vegetables become tender, add the tofu from #2 and the canned mackerel. Fry the tofu while smashing it (try not to smash it into small bits). Season with soy sauce and sake. Simmer after frying until the broth is used up.
6. 6. When the rice is cooked, place the ingredients from #5 on top of the rice and cover the pot with a lid. After steaming the contents for about 15 ~ 20 minutes, mix them together.
## Provider Information
provider : Tamba-Sasayama Izumikai and Tamba-Sasayama
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# Saba-zushi (Mackerel sushi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Saba-zushi (Mackerel sushi)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All areas
## Main Ingredients Used
Mackerel, rice
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Saba-zushi is a traditional Japanese dish made from salted mackerel that has been pickled in vinegar. It can be served in various forms, such as sugata-zushi, bo-zushi and nigiri-zushi. Sugata-zushi is shaped like a mackerel, with its head and tail left intact. Bo-zushi, on the other hand, is prepared by removing the head and tail of the half-salted mackerel, then vinegaring it and placing it on vinegared rice before wrapping it in a bamboo skin.Before refrigeration technology was developed, fish caught in Wakasa Bay were transported inland to Kyoto, following what were commonly known as “saba kaido,” or mackerel routes. For instance, the mackerel highway to the west led to Tamba Sasayama, where the salted mackerel would reach its optimal saltiness level by the time it arrived. This mackerel was then used to make saba-zushi, a type of sushi. During autumn festivals, the tradition of bo-zushi is passed down from generation to generation. Bo-zushi is made with rice cooked with fresh rice, topped with vinegared salted mackerel, and wrapped in a bamboo skin to celebrate the harvest.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Bo-zushi is typically served during special occasions like autumn festivals. However, for events like "Sanaburi," a celebration after rice planting is completed, and other similar occasions, nigiri-zushi is a more common choice. It is made by slicing vinegared mackerel into thin strips and placing them on top.
## How to Eat
To make nigiri-zushi, the mackerel is prepared with its head and tail left on. It is then opened and sealed in vinegar before being placed on top of rice. To make bo-zushi, the head and tail are removed and the mackerel is cut into five pieces which are then tied together with vinegar. The pieces are placed on top of sushi rice and wrapped in bamboo bark. Once complete, it is cut into pieces and served. To make nigiri-zushi, the mackerel is shredded into bite-sized pieces, placed on top of vinegared rice, and then shaped into bite-sized pieces.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
During festivals and other occasions, Saba-zushi is prepared at home and also available at restaurants and grocery stores, with each family passing on their unique recipe to their children.
## Ingredients
- Salted mackerel (for autumn festival): 2
- Rice vinegar: 2 cups (400cc)
- Sugar: 3 tbsp.
- Salt: 1 tsp.
- Rice: 2 cups (2.5 kg)
- Water: 2.2 cups
- Rice vinegar: 2 1／2 tbsp.
- Sugar: 1 tbsp.
- Salt: 1 tsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Soak the salted mackerel in water overnight to remove excess salt.
2. 2. Remove the thin skin from the surface of the fish.
3. 3. Remove the bones, fins, and small bones. You can use a hair remover to get rid of the small bones.
4. 4. Soak the fish in vinegar for half a day to a full day.
5. 5. Prepare sushi rice. Mix vinegar into the warm rice and let it cool. Make rice balls about the length of the fish and gently press the rice into a tight ball so it doesn't fall apart.
6. 6. Put the mackerel on the rice ball and press down firmly. If you want to gift-wrap the sushi, you can wrap it in a bamboo skin.
## Provider Information
provider : Hyogo Home Cooking Research Group (Makiko Katayose, Kaoru Sakamoto, Harumi Sakuta, Noriko Tanaka, Shinobu Tominaga, Kozue Nakatani, Tomoko Hara, Sachiko Honda), Yoshiko Murata
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# Izushi Sara Soba ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Izushi Sara Soba
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Izushi Town, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Soba flour, wheat flour
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Izushi Sara Soba is a local dish of Izushi Town, Toyooka City, where several pieces of soba are served on small white porcelain plates with sauce and condiments in a small sake cup. 5 pieces of soba are one serving. Locals say that a serving of soba is equal to the height of a pair of chopsticks held up by an adult male.It began in 1706, when Masaaki Sengoku, a feudal lord from Ueda in Shinshu (Nagano Prefecture), brought a soba craftsman with him. New techniques were added to the soba-making techniques that had existed before that time, and for more than 300 years since then, soba has developed through the training of craftspeople while making improvements. Izushi soba is made using the traditional method of freshly ground, freshly beaten, and freshly boiled soba. The small dish on which the soba is served is approximately 13 cm in diameter and is said to have originated around the end of the Edo period when soba was served in a small, shallow, handmade salt dish for easy portability when served at food stalls. Later, white porcelain from Izushi ware came to be used.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is eaten regardless of the season. There are about 40 restaurants serving Izushi Sara Soba in the town (as of 2021), and it is readily available.
## How to Eat
Served on a small plate about 13 cm in diameter, the soba is dipped in sauce poured from a small sake cup into a soba cup and dipped in egg, yam, green onion, grated radish, wasabi, and other condiments.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Locally produced soba has been certified as “Hyogo Safe Brand Food” by Hyogo Prefecture and as “Stork Dance” by Toyooka City.The Izushi Sara Soba Cooperative Association has registered Izushi Sara Soba and Izushi Soba as regional collective trademarks and holds a New Soba Festival every November. In April each year, the Izushi Soba Eating Contest is held by the Tajima-no-kuni Izushi Kankyo Kyokai (Tajima Country Izushi Tourist Association). In addition, the Izushi Machizukuri Public Corporation sells products that allow visitors to compare soba at three of the town's soba stores and experience soba making.
## Ingredients
- Izushi Soba Noodles: To taste
- [Condiments] Dried grated radish, chopped green onion, horseradish, grated yam, egg, and other spices: To taste
- Soba sauce: To taste
## Recipe
1. 1. Boil soba in plenty of hot water.
2. 2. Pour the soy sauce into a buckwheat noodle cup and add the sauce and the condiments.
3. 3. Dip the soba into the sauce and eat.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by: Izushi Sara Soba Cooperative Association
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# Boiled Snow Crab ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Boiled Snow Crab
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Tajima area (Shin Onsen Town, Kami Town, Toyooka City)
## Main Ingredients Used
Matsuba crab (snow crab)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Snow crab is called “Matsuba Crab” in the San'in region and “Echizen Crab” in the Hokuriku region. Matsuba Crab is a specialty of the Tajima region facing the Sea of Japan and is characterized by its freshly boiled meat that is flaky but still has the slight sweetness of crab even when cold. Some people believe that the crab is called Matsuba Crab because pine needles were used as fuel when boiling the crab, or because the crab meat spreads out like pine needles when dipped in water. The crab fishing season is from November to March, and the crab is landed at five fishing ports, including Hamasaka Fishing Port at the northwestern tip of the prefecture, which boasts one of the highest catches in Japan. However, the catch of snow crab was at its peak around 1965 and then declined sharply in the late 1960s due to overfishing as fishing boats became larger and fishing methods developed. In recent years, in order to protect the resource, the fishery has been adjusted so that the catch can continue until the end of the fishing season while strengthening voluntary regulations such as shortening the fishing season and limiting the catch.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The season is from November to March when the fishing season is open.While it is also eaten at home, there are restaurants that serve crab sashimi, crab sukiyaki, crab nabe, and crab stew.
## How to Eat
When selecting crabs, they should be heavy and hard-shelled when held in the hand.Boil it in plenty of water, remove the meat, and eat it while marinated in vinegar and soy sauce. It is also widely used in dishes such as crab cooked with rice, porridge, miso soup, and croquettes.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
When the crab fishing season opens, the Hamasaka Fishing Port Seri Market holds a Crab Festival, selling Matsuba crab and other crab dishes, and distributing free crab soup. In addition, JR West Japan operates a special train service called the crab-crab train from Keihanshin and San'in regions to the Tajima area during the season, which has been very popular every year.As for securing future resources, “the Kinosaki Marine World” is taking on the challenge of a project to raise snow crabs from eggs.
## Ingredients
- Matsuba crab: 1
- Water: To taste
- Salt: To taste
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the crab thoroughly.
2. 2. Prepare a large pot that can hold the whole crab.
3. 3. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the crab and add salt to a level slightly lighter than seawater (about 3%).
4. 4. When the water comes to a boil, put the whole crab in the pot with the belly up (shell down).
5. 5. When the water comes to a boil again, reduce the heat and boil the crab for 18-25 minutes with the lid on.
6. 6. After boiling, drain in a colander.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by: Shin Onsen Town
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# Banshu Hand-pulled Somen (thin wheat noodles) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Banshu Hand-pulled Somen (thin wheat noodles)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Harima area
## Main Ingredients Used
Wheat, salt, water
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Ibo No Ito, a Banshu soumen characterized by its firm, crisp texture and resistance to boil-through, is a specialty of the Harima region.The history of soumen in Japan dates back to the Nara period when Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty brought back from China a sweet called sakubei, from which soumen was derived. The connection with soumen in the Banshu area of Hyogo Prefecture can be seen in an ancient document from Ikaruga Temple (Taishi Town, Ibo-gun), which mentions soumen in a clause dated 1418 (Oei 25). It was during the Edo period that soumen production came into full swing, and was encouraged as a permitted industry by the Tatsuno clan during the Anei era (1771-1780). During the Bunka era (1804-1818), the Tatsuno clan began to protect and foster the product. Ibo No Ito flourished as a traditional industry in the Banshu region, thanks to the availability of wheat (wheat harvested in the Banshu Plain), water (the clear waters of the Ibo River), and salt (salt from Ako), which were important conditions for making soumen, and also as it became a side business during the winter farm-closing season. Ibo No Ito is classified into seven grades according to the season when it is made, the type of flour used, and the fineness of the noodles, and is widely used for everything from everyday household items to luxury gifts.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Ibo No Ito is produced from October to April of the following year, but it is eaten at home all year round, served cold with cold soup in summer and warm with hot soup in winter.The cut-off part of the soumen that comes out of the production process is called “bachi” because its shape resembles a bachi (plectrum) of a shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese instrument), and it has more firmness, stickiness, and saltiness than soumen. It is eaten at home or in school lunches as bachi soup, which is made by boiling miso soup and adding bachi as it is, or simmering it with vegetables.
## How to Eat
“The bachi” used in “bachi soup” can be used directly in soup stock without boiling it, so it is easily prepared at home. Cut radish and carrots into strips, cut taro into bite-size pieces, and boil them quickly. Then cut the fried tofu into bite-size pieces, add all the cut ingredients into the broth, and simmer. Just before turning off the heat, add “the bachi” and soy sauce to taste. Because “the bachi” is very salty, season the broth lightly and adjust the seasoning after adding “the bachi”.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
In 1997, the Hyogo Hand-pulled Soumen Cooperative Association opened the Ibo No Ito Museum “Soumen no Sato”, where visitors can learn about the history and production process of soumen noodles. It also solicits recipes for soumen noodle ideas and publishes them on its website and in catalogs.In addition, every year the Tatsuno City Board of Education holds a “Soumen Making Experience” for elementary school students in the city.
## Ingredients
- Soumen bachi: 10g
- [Miso soup] Soup stock: 300g
- [Miso soup] Pumpkin: 50g
- [Miso soup] Thinly sliced fish cake: 5g
- [Miso soup] Miso paste: 16g
## Recipe
1. 1. Make miso soup.
2. 2. Put soumen bachi directly into the miso soup pot and simmer until soft.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by : Hyogo Home Cooking Research Group (Makiko Katayose, Kaoru Sakamoto, Harumi Sakuta, Noriko Tanaka, Shinobu Tominaga, Kozue Nakatani, Tomoko Hara, Sawako Honda)
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# Tamba black soybean rice ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Tamba black soybean rice
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Tamba Sasayama City
## Main Ingredients Used
Tamba black soybeans (dried), rice
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Black soybeans from Tamba Sasayama are said to be of the highest quality among black soybeans, with large grains and high sugar content due to the clayey, fertile soil of the region and the intense temperature difference between day and night. They are characterized by their large size, slightly sweet taste, and the skin is difficult to tear. Farmers cultivated black soybeans for shipping and for their own consumption using the paths in the rice paddies. The black soybeans are grown along these paths and those that could not be shipped were used to make snacks for children and a feast at rice planting time.The black soybean rice was offered to the god of rice paddies during the “sabiraki” (early opening of rice seedlings) ceremony (an event to pray for the growth of seedlings) held in June. Freshly cooked black soybean rice is rolled up like a rice ball, wrapped in a magnolia leaf, and offered to the altar. The fragrance of the magnolia leaves and chestnut trees repels insects, so the ritual is said to be a wish that the rice would grow without insects.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In the old days, freshly cooked black soybean rice was rolled up and wrapped in a magnolia leaf and offered to the family altar and rice paddies during “sabiraki”, an event held in June to pray to the god of rice fields for the growth of rice seedlings. Although this custom is dying out, black bean rice is still cooked during rice planting, celebrations, and Buddhist memorial services.
## How to Eat
Soak the black soybeans in water overnight, then combine the soaking liquid and water to the normal level and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Just before cooking, mix salt and sake to taste, and cook the rice with the black soybeans on top. When the rice is done, the pigment of the black soybeans will dissolve into the rice, giving it a slightly purplish color. Alternatively, instead of soaking the black soybeans in water, you can fry them in an iron frying pan or place them on a heatproof plate and cook them in a microwave oven for about 3 minutes (the recommended cooking time is until the skin of the beans cracks and you can taste the aroma of one bean).The cooked black bean rice is sometimes mixed with vinegar and served as pink-colored black bean sushi. On special occasions, the rice is steamed white and eaten as “shiro-mushi” (white steamed rice).
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
At elementary, junior high, and senior high schools, black soybeans are harvested for hands-on experience, black bean rice is cooked in nutrition education classes and is also served in school lunches. They are also served in school lunches.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 2 cups
- Black soybeans: 40g
- Dried plum: 1
- Sake: 2 tablespoons
- Water: To taste
## Recipe
1. 1. Dry-roast black soybeans over low heat until the surface wrinkles.
2. 2. Remove the seeds from the dried plums and chop them with a knife.
3. 3. Add the black beans, pickled plums, and sake to the washed rice, and cook with an appropriate amount of water.
4. 4. When the rice is finished cooking, break it into small pieces.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by: Hyogo Home Cooking Research Group (Makiko Katayose, Kaoru Sakamoto, Harumi Sakuta, Noriko Tanaka, Shinobu Tominaga, Kozue Nakatani, Tomoko Hara, Sawako Honda)
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# Himeji oden ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Himeji oden
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Himeji City and its vicinity
## Main Ingredients Used
Radish, a kelp knot, chikuwa (a tube-shaped fish cake paste), konjac, konjac noodle, boiled egg, tempura burdock, hiraten, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Oden is generally served with mustard, but “Himeji Oden” is served with or without ginger soy sauce. This is the characteristic of Himeji oden, a local dish of Himeji.In Himeji, there are two types of oden: one with a thick, sweet flavor called Kanto nimono, and the other with a lighter flavor, but both are called “Himeji oden” when ginger soy sauce is used. Ginger soy sauce is made by adding grated ginger to soy sauce, and Himeji was originally a producer of ginger and soy sauce. The area around Himeji is also a major producer of soy sauce, which may have contributed to the custom of using ginger soy sauce in oden. The name “Himeji Oden” was coined in 2006 by a group of volunteers involved in the “Himeji Food for Town Revitalization” campaign, who named the dish “Himeji Oden”. It is now widely known as a local delicacy, and many tourists visit Himeji for its oden.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Oden is usually prepared and eaten at home, but it is also eaten on festive occasions such as autumn festivals and framework-raising ceremonies. There is also a unique way of eating oden at home, where the leftover oden ingredients are chopped up and added to okonomiyaki.
## How to Eat
In addition to the beef tendon, each household prepares its own oden ingredients, such as radish, egg, konjac, and chikuwa. The beef tendon is boiled and rinsed, and the radish and konjac are also boiled, then simmered in oden broth, a combination of soup stock, soy sauce, and mirin, for about one hour. When ready, pour ginger soy sauce over the beef or mix ginger soy sauce with oden soup stock and eat while dipping.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
After being named Himeji Oden in 2006 as part of the “Himeji Food for Town Revitalization” activity, the “Himeji Oden Promotion Committee” was established to promote Himeji Oden and its activities. Currently, more than 100 restaurants in the city offer Himeji Oden (as of 2021), and it also appears in school lunches. In 2019, Himeji Food Expo (hosted by Himeji Food Culture Association) was held, and “Himeji Oden” was also featured at a stall.
## Ingredients
- [Oden] Radish: 400g
- [Oden] Potatoes: 200g
- [Oden] Boiled eggs: 4
- [Oden] Tempura burdock: 4
- [Oden] Pieces of chikuwa: 2
- [Oden] Hiraten: 4
- [Oden] Thick deep-fried tofu: 4
- [Oden] Konjac: 1／2 slice
- [Oden] Other oden ingredients of your choice (beef tendon, fried fish balls, etc.) as you like:
- [Oden] Oden soup stock: 800-1000ml
- [Oden] Soy sauce: 60ml
- [Oden] Mirin: 30 ml
- [Oden] Sake: 15ml
- [Ginger Soy Sauce] Grated ginger: To taste
- [Ginger Soy Sauce] Soy sauce: To taste
## Recipe
1. 1. Preparation of Oden SeedsCut radish into 3cm-thick slices and boil in rice water.Cut konjac into triangular pieces and boil them.Peel potatoes and soak them in water.Pour boiling water over tempura burdock, hiraten, and deep-fried tofu.Cut chikuwa in half diagonally.Make boiled egg and peel.
2. 2. Add soy sauce, mirin, and sake to dashi broth and cook radish, konjac, and potatoes. When the potatoes are moderately cooked, add the burdock root tempura, hiraten, deep-fried tofu, chikuwa, and boiled egg and bring to a simmer.
3. 3. Serve the oden in a bowl and garnish with soy sauce and grated ginger in a small dish.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by: Hyogo Home Cooking Research Group (Makiko Katayose, Kaoru Sakamoto, Harumi Sakuta, Noriko Tanaka, Shinobu Tominaga, Kozue Nakatani, Tomoko Hara, Sawako Honda)
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# Chobo jiru ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Chobo jiru
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Awaji Island
## Main Ingredients Used
Sasage beans, zuki beans, glutinous rice flour
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Chobo-jiru is a traditional local dish of Awaji Island that has been served since the Edo period (1603-1868). It consists of dumplings, common beans, and zuki beans in a thick broth. It looks similar to oshiruko (sweet bean soup), but it is not sweet. The dumplings made of sugar beans and glutinous rice flour are highly nutritious, and the zuiki is said to purge old blood and cleanse the blood. It was customary for mothers to make this dish for their daughters to restore their strength after childbirth, saying, "I feed it to my wife to improve her milk supply after childbirth. They would make a lot of it in a pot and serve it to relatives and neighbors who gathered to celebrate the birth. It is also customary to make chobojiru at the time of a child's shrine visit and distribute it to relatives and acquaintances.The name "chobo soup" comes from the wish that the child will have a cute chobo mouth. The dumplings in the soup are either hollowed out in the middle or rounded if the baby is a girl, or pointed if the baby is a boy. If it is a boy, the dumplings should be pointed. This is to wish for the healthy growth of the child.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The mothers make dumplings for women who have just given birth, and serve them to relatives and neighbors. It is also made at the time of the child's shrine visit and distributed to relatives and acquaintances.
## How to Eat
Dumplings made from glutinous rice flour, white beans, and taro stems called "zuiki" are added to dashi broth, simmered, and miso is added.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
At the Awaji Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Festival held every year on January 15, handmade chobo soup is served by the JA Women's Association and women of the Lifestyle Research Group (in 2020, chobo soup sets will be distributed).Some restaurants in the city also serve it. Chobo soup also appears once a year on the school lunch menu.
## Ingredients
- sasage beans: 160g (1 cup)
- Water (for sasage beans): 3 cups x 2
- Zuiki (dried): 20g (1 cup)
- Glutinous rice flour: 50g
- Water (for glutinous rice flour): About 50cc
- Dashi stock: 700cc
- Miso paste: 80g
- Hana-katsuo (dried bonito): As needed
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash whiskers well, soak in 3 cups of water for about 3 hours, then bring to a boil, drain and remove scum.
2. 2. Add 3 cups of water to 1 and boil to soften, then drain.
3. 3. Wash and soak the watermelon in lukewarm water, cut into 1 cm lengths. Boil, drain well, remove from heat, and squeeze.
4. 4. Make "chobo (dango). Add water to glutinous rice flour a little at a time and knead. When the mixture is the consistency of earlobes, roll out into a stick, cut into 1.5 cm lengths, and shape into a bale.
5. 5. Put the dashi broth on the fire, add the white beans and tsuiki, and when they become soft, add the dashi broth.
6. 6. When the dumplings float to the surface, dissolve in miso.
7. 7. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with hana-katsuo (dried bonito).
## Provider Information
provider : Awaji City Health Promotion Division
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# Katsumeshi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Katsumeshi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Kakogawa City and surrounding areas
## Main Ingredients Used
Beef, cabbage, rice
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Katsu-meshi" is a Western-style dish consisting of a flat beef cutlet on top of rice served on a Western-style plate, topped with demi-glace sauce and served with boiled cabbage on the side.It is a local dish of Kakogawa. It was first invented at a diner in town shortly after the war, when beef cutlets were still a rarity, as a Western-style dish that could be easily eaten with chopsticks without a knife and fork. Later, other diners began to offer katsumeshi with a sweet and spicy sauce and other innovations, and the dish spread throughout Kakogawa City.Today, new types of katsumeshi are being introduced, such as using pork, chicken, and shrimp cutlets as well as beef, and offering sauces other than demi-glace sauce. At stores in and around Kakogawa City, one can enjoy a variety of variations, different from store to store.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
As a normal meal, it can be prepared and eaten at home regardless of the season.
## How to Eat
The rice served on a Western-style plate should be thin, and the beef cutlet on top of it should be tapped flat and deep-fried to look tasty. In addition to beef cutlets, tonkatsu and chicken cutlets are sometimes served on top.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
There are more than 100 restaurants serving katsumeshi in and around Kakogawa City (as of 2021), and it also appears on school lunch and cafeteria menus. In addition, since special sauce is available at supermarkets, katsumeshi can be easily prepared at home. The Kakogawa Tourism Association, in cooperation with the University of Hyogo, is also using characters selected from the public to promote katsumeshi.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 300g (2 cups)
- Water: 450cc (2 1／4 cups)
- Beef (sliced): 400g (2 cups)
- Ingredients for batter] Flour: 30g (3 tbsp)
- Ingredients for batter] potato starch: 15g (1 1／2 tbsp)
- Ingredients for batter] Vinegar: 7～8cc (1／2 tbsp)
- Ingredients for batter] Water: 30cc
- salt: A pinch
- pepper: A pinch
- bread crumbs: some bread crumbs
- oil for frying: a little oil to taste
- Cabbage: 250g
- hot water: 400cc (2 cups)
- Curry powder: 2g (1 tsp)
- salt: a pinch
- consomme: 1 piece
- hot water: 600cc (3 cups)
- Butter: 25 g
- flour: 25 g (3 tbsp)
- Ketchup: 70g (4 1／2 tbsp)
- Worcestershire sauce: 45cc (3 tbsp)
- Grated onion: 50g (4-5 tbsp)
- japanese mustard: 3-5 g (1／2-1 tsp)
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash rice and cook normally in a rice cooker.
2. 2. Cut cabbage into 2 cm squares and boil in boiling water with curry powder and salt. Drain in a colander and leave to cool.
3. 3. Dissolve 1 consommé in 3 cups of hot water to make soup.
4. 4. Melt butter in a frying pan, add flour and fry over low heat until golden brown.
5. 5. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the bottom of the pan to cool slightly before adding the soup from step 3 and spreading it out a little at a time.
6. 6. Put 5 on the heat, add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and grated onion, and cook down, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. 7. Spread one piece of beef on top of the other to form a cutlet.
8. 8. Combine [batter ingredients] and dissolve in water (like tempura batter).
9. 9. Season the beef with salt and pepper, and coat with breadcrumbs after the batter in step 8.
10. 10. Deep fry the cutlets in oil at 170-180℃.
11. 11. Place rice on a plate, top with cutlet cutlets cut into pieces, cabbage, sauce, and garnish with mustard.
## Provider Information
provider : Hyogo Home Cooking Research Group (Kaiko Katayose, Kaoru Sakamoto, Harumi Sakuta, Noriko Tanaka, Shinobu Tominaga, Kozue Nakatani, Tomoko Hara, Sachiko Honda)
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# Botan nabe ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Botan nabe
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Tanba Sasayama City
## Main Ingredients Used
wild boar meat, Chinese cabbage, burdock root, leek, carrot, mountain yam (taro), grilled tofu
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Botan-nabe" is a local dish of Tamba Sasayama City. It is a one-pot dish of wild boar meat and seasonal vegetables simmered in a broth based on a combination of white and red miso.It is said to have originated around 1908, when the 70th Infantry Regiment of the Army was stationed in Sasayama Town, Taki County, and the meat of wild boar captured during training was put into a miso soup and eaten, or brought to ryokan (Japanese inns) and made into a miso-based nabe. In 1931, the predecessor organization of the Sasayama City Chamber of Commerce and Industry solicited lyrics for a folk song, "Sasayama kouta," and the lyrics that were selected used the term "botan-nabe" instead of "ino-nabe. The folk song "Dekansho-bushi" from Tanba-Sasayama also includes the words "Botan-nabe, where a boar (shishi) jumps into the inn in Tanba as snow flutters in and out of the inn. It is said that local ryokan eventually got the idea from the phrase "botan-nabe," and began to arrange wild boar meat like peony petals on a plate and serve it to their customers.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Mainly served in winter, at New Year's and when guests arrive.
## How to Eat
Boar meat and vegetables are boiled in a broth made from kombu (kelp) and bonito, and a combination of white and red miso. Sprinkle with powdered pepper to taste. The taste and umami of wild boar meat varies depending on the part of the meat, so use the part you prefer. Wild boar meat is also sometimes barbecued.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The "Wild Boar Festival" is held once a year under the auspices of the Tamba Sasayama Commerce and Industry Association. The festival includes a wild boar race and sales of creative wild boar meat dishes. In addition, there are 40 restaurants serving botan nabe (as of 2021).
## Ingredients
- Wild boar meat (thinly sliced loin): 300g
- Grilled tofu: 250g
- Chinese cabbage: 150g
- Green onion: 2 stalks
- garland chrysanthemum: 100g
- Enokidake mushroom: 100g
- Burdock root: 100g
- Carrot: 80g
- konnyaku: 1 sheet
- Yam (taro): 300g
- Simmering broth] Dashi stock: 500 ml
- Simmering broth] Sake: 100ml
- Simmering broth] Mirin (sweet cooking sake): 3 tbsp.
- Simmering broth] miso: 3 tbsp.
- Simmering broth] white miso: 3 tbsp.
- Simmering broth] Sansho (powdered Japanese pepper): Appropriate amount
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut grilled tofu into bite-sized pieces. Cut Chinese cabbage into chunks, green onion into diagonal slices, and garland chrysanthemum into 5 cm pieces. Cut off the bristles of enokidake mushrooms and break into small pieces. Cut burdock root into small pieces and soak in water to remove the scum. Cut carrots into thin strips and konnyaku into bite-size pieces or tear into pieces. Peel the yam, soak in vinegar water to remove the scum, and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. 2. Pour the stock into a pot and bring to a boil, then add the wild boar meat. When the meat changes color, add the ingredients in order of hardest to cook first.
3. 3. When eating, sprinkle with powdered sansho (Japanese pepper) to taste. You may also sprinkle pepper powder on the meat when boiling it together in the pot. However, it will have a slightly bitter taste.
## Provider Information
provider : Tamba Sasayama Izumikai, Tamba Sasayama City
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# Akashiyaki/Tamagoyaki (Akashi style omelet) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Akashiyaki/Tamagoyaki (Akashi style omelet)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Akashi City
## Main Ingredients Used
wheat flour, dust powder, eggs, octopus, soup stock
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Akashiyaki is a local dish of Akashi City. It is made by mixing flour, dust powder, egg, and dashi broth, baking octopus in the batter, and dipping it in dipping sauce. Akashiyaki is similar to takoyaki in appearance, but the main difference is that takoyaki is eaten with sauce, while Akashiyaki is dipped in bonito or kelp broth. It has long been known locally as "Tamagoyaki," but around 1988, a city official decided to name it "Akashiyaki" in order to promote the town of Akashi, and the name spread to many other places. From the end of the Edo period to the Taisho period, Akashi was actively engaged in the production of "Akashi-dama (artificial sango)," a decorative item, as a local industry. Akashi dama" were made from egg whites, and it is said that the yolks of the eggs left over from this production process were mixed with octopus caught in the sea before one's eyes, which is believed to be the origin of Akashiyaki. It is the soul food of Akashi, which can be eaten as a substitute for snacks by both children and adults.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Regardless of the season, it is eaten as an everyday lunch or snack. It is also made at home, and there are about 70 Akashiyaki restaurants in the city (as of 2021), making it easy to eat when going out.
## How to Eat
The octopus is placed in a batter made by mixing wheat flour, dust powder (refined starch from wheat flour), eggs, and broth, then grilled on a copper pan, and the finished product is dipped in broth and eaten.The resulting dish is then baked on a copper pan and served with dashi broth.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The Akashi Tourist Association has made a PR video and distributed it on SNS, posted a special feature on Akashiyaki on its website, and created posters and pamphlets to be distributed to lodging facilities and Akashiyaki specialty stores. In addition, local volunteers have formed the "Akashi Tamago-yaki Spreading Team" to promote Akashi-yaki outside of the prefecture, and have held lectures on Akashi-yaki at elementary schools, senior citizen facilities, universities, community centers, etc.
## Ingredients
- Octopus: Appropriate amount
- Eggs: 3
- soup stock: 2 cups
- flour: 60g
- dusting powder: 60g
- dipping sauce (kelp or bonito broth): Appropriate amount
## Recipe
1. 1. Blanch octopus with salt and rinse well in cold water to remove the sludge.
2. 2. Boil octopus and cut into 1 cm cubes.
3. 3. Sift the flour and dust with flour and dissolve in soup stock.
4. 4. Add beaten egg to 3.
5. 5. Put 4 in a hot copper pot and add octopus one by one.
6. 6. Turn the octopus over carefully, shaping it into a round shape, and cook it until fluffy.
7. 7. Dip the octopus in the dipping sauce and eat. The dipping sauce can be served cold or hot, as desired.
## Provider Information
provider : Akashi Tourist Association
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# Ikanago no kugini ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Ikanago no kugini
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Seto Inland Sea coast (Harima, Settsu, Awaji area)
## Main Ingredients Used
Ikanago fish
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Ikanago no kugi-ni" is a local dish made by boiling raw ikanago fry in soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and other seasonings to a sweet and spicy consistency. It is called "kugi-ni" (meaning "nail stew") because the finished product looks like a rusty nail that has been bent. It is said to have originated in Kobe, where it was originally prepared in the homes of fishermen, but it became widely known to the general public in the 1980s. One of the reasons for the popularity of the dish was that women of a fishermen's cooperative in Akashi created a recipe for nugi-ni, which had a strong seasoning for fishermen, and improved it for ordinary households, and held cooking classes.Every year, from the end of February to April, the shinko fishing season is held to catch ikanago fry (shinko), and customers line up at fresh fish stores to buy shinko. The smell of soy sauce and sugar used to cook ikanago wafts through the streets, and locals say that "the smell of ikanago brings spring". The "ikanago no kugi-ni" is a springtime tradition in the Seto Inland Sea, and is still an established part of the local culinary culture today.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The fishing season for newborn ikanago (juvenile ikanago) opens from the end of February to the beginning of March every year, and the fishing season is short, lasting only about one month. Many families would buy newborns by the kilo when the fishing season opened and cook them on the same day and give them to their acquaintances or relatives living far away as "kugi-ni" (boiled squid eggs). Today, the catch has decreased dramatically, making them hard to find.
## How to Eat
Fresh raw ikanago fry (shinko), 2 to 4 cm long, are boiled down to a sweet and spicy consistency with soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and other ingredients.In addition to ginger, some people use Japanese pepper, hawk's claw, and yuzu (a type of citrus fruit) to make other arrangements, and it is widely eaten as a side dish or snack with sake.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
In addition to being made at home, it is also sold at souvenir stores, fresh fish stores, and supermarkets.The Hyogo Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative Association holds cooking classes using ikanago and conducts delivery workshops to elementary and junior high schools. The Association for the Promotion of kugini Stewed Ikanago also holds events such as the "kugini Stewed Literature Award," in which haiku, poetry, and essays are publicly solicited, and the "kugini Stewed Contest," in which people compete for the best taste of home-style kugini stew.
## Ingredients
- Ikanago: 1kg
- Dark soy sauce: 180ml
- Sugar: 250g
- Clay ginger: 30g
## Recipe
1. 1. Shred the earth ginger.
2. 2. Place ginger and seasonings in a large pot and bring to a boil.
3. 3. Add the ikanago all at once and cook over high heat until the fish turns white.
4. 4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 1／3 of its original volume, about 2 hours.
5. 5. Remove the lid and simmer over medium heat until all the liquid has evaporated and the fish is shiny. Turn the fish a few times during cooking.
6. 6. Drain off excess liquid from the colander.Remove from the colander and remove excess liquid.
## Provider Information
provider : Hyogo Home Cooking Research Group (Makiko Katayose, Kaoru Sakamoto, Harumi Sakuta, Noriko Tanaka, Shinobu Tominaga, Kozue Nakatani, Tomoko Hara, Sachiko Honda), Yaeko Hosono, Yoshie Kashiwayama
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# Ayu zushi (Sweetfish Sushi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Ayu zushi (Sweetfish Sushi)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Along the Yoshino River
## Main Ingredients Used
Ayu (= sweetfish), rice, vinegar, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Natural ‘Ayu’ (=sweetfish), grown in the clear stream in Yoshino mountains, eats algae on stones in the river. It is called ‘’kogyo’, meaning ‘fish with good smell’, because its smell is like watermelon or cucumber, and is also tasty. The sushi using this ayu is famous in Yoshino area. Originally ‘Ayu-zushi’ was a ‘nare-zushi’, sushi fermented from 1week to 1 month, but it had became less served as time went by because of its unique flavor. In Muromachi Period (AD1336~1537), however, ‘fresh nare-zushi’, fermented in shorter period and served with rice and fish together, was invented thank to the development of barrels and stone weight. Currently, ‘Ayu-zushi’ is served immediately after prepared, and you can enjoy its fresh flavour. ‘Ayu-zushi’ from Nara Prefecture became popular because there was a real sushi restaurant appeared in the famous Kabuki and Ningyo Jyoruri (=Japanese puppet drama) program called ‘Yoshitsune Senbon-zakura’ (=Yoshitune with a thousand of cherry blossom trees) located in Nara Prefecture. ‘Tsurube-sushi’, appears in the program, is ‘nare-zushi’ fermented with rice and Ayu. The name came from a bucket as sushi container looked like it. The restaurant set in the Kabuki sushi restaurant is still open as a traditional Japanese restaurant.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is often served during the Ayu season, from summer to autumn. As Ayu has been popular as a lucky food since the ancient time, the dish is also served at auspicious occasions or gatherings.
## How to Eat
‘Ayu Sugata-zushi’ was prepared by placing whole Ayu on the vinegared rice and pressed them with wet kitchen cloth. Cut into a bite-size to serve. There is ‘Yaki Ayu Sushi’, placing grilled ayu instead of vinegared ayu, and it is served with Sansho (=Japanese pepper) or sauce.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)You can eat or but at restaurants or Sushi restaurant easily.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 5 cups
- Ayu (=sweetfish): 10
- [Seasoning A (Sushi vinegar)] Vinegar: 130ml
- [Seasoning A (Sushi vinegar)] Mirin (=sweet rice wine): 35ml
- [Seasoning A (Sushi vinegar)] Sugar: 70g
- [Seasoning A (Sushi vinegar)] Salt: 27g
## Recipe
1. 1. Heat seasoning [A] without boiling to make sushi vinegar.
2. 2. Once rice is cooked, pour sushi vinegar evenly. Mix it not to squish rice while cooling the rice with fan. Rice becomes shiny while cooling.
3. 3. Remove scales from ayu, then slice down the belly from head to tail. Open from belly side and remove gill and guts, then remove back born, belly born and fin. Sprinkle salt and leave it for 3mins. Rinse it to remove salt, then pickle into vinegar for a minute.
4. 4. Wipe off liquid from ayu. Shape vinegar rice as same length as ayu to make it oval. Place ayu on top of the rice, then cover wet kitchen cloth to adjust the shape. Cut into a bite-size to serve.
5. 5. Mix Chinese indigo, ‘Kinome’ (=Japanese young pepper), Green shiso into vinegar rice for flavor if you like.
## Provider Information
provider : Mr. Masatoshi Umesaki
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# Sanma zushi (Pacific Saury Sushi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Sanma zushi (Pacific Saury Sushi)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Totsukawa Village
## Main Ingredients Used
Sanma (=Pacific saury), rice, vinegar, salt, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
‘Sanma zushi’ is prevailed as a local cuisine mainly in Yoshino-gun Totsukawa Village in Nara Prefecture, and was an important ‘nare-zushi’, type of traditional sushi fermented with salted fish and rice, at auspicious occasions and new years. The name ‘nare-zushi’ came from the Japanese word ‘nareru’, means ‘’get used to’ or ‘ripen’ because the ingredients get ‘nareru’ as they are fermented. ‘Narezushi’ originally used to be one of the methods to preserve fish longer, and rice, working as fermentation accelerator, was discarded. However, rice was eaten with fish together after shortening fermentation in Muromachi Era. (AD1336~1537)The recipe for ‘Sanma zushi’ in Totsukawa Village varies in north part and south part of the village. In north area, rinse sanma (=pacific saury) after pickled it with salt, then place it onto a bucket with rice cooked with salt and sake. After that, add water and salt and ferment for a long time. In south region, on the other hand, pickle salted sanma with vinegar, then put vinegar rice on top and press them together. Although the recipes are different, people from both areas use sanma with less fatty caught in Kumano Nada from late autumn to early summer. Sanma caught in Kumano Nada is a bit smaller and less fatty, and good for preservative food like ‘Sanma zushi’.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is mainly served during new year holiday. Mamy locals pickled lots of sanma in autumn and took them out on the new year eve.
## How to Eat
Slice sanma down its back and leave it with salt. Pickled fish with vinegar. Place rice ball along with the size of fish, then wrap them together and shape it nicely. Serve after 1~2 days to let ingredients absorb flavor. You can adjust the time to pickle sanma depending on your preference.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)The dish hasn’t been prepared at home these days, but you can buy ones at restaurants, farmers markets or farm shops.
## Ingredients
- Sanma (=pacific saury): 5
- Rice: 3 cups
- Water: 750ml
- Sake: 37ml
- Kombu (=kelp): As needed
- [Seasoning A (Awase-zu sweet and sour dressing for fish)] Vinegar: 125ml
- [Seasoning A (Awase-zu sweet and sour dressing for fish)] Sugar: about 45g
- [Seasoning B (Awase-zu sweet and sour dressing for rice)] Vinegar: 55ml
- [Seasoning B (Awase-zu sweet and sour dressing for rice)] Sugar: about 11g
- [Seasoning B (Awase-zu sweet and sour dressing for rice)] Salt: about 6g
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the rice and place kombu on top. Soak them into water and sake for 1~2 hours. Cook rice after taking out the kombu. Mix with seasoning B once the rice is cooked to make vinegar rice.
2. 2. Prepare fresh and lean sanma, then slice it down its back. Remove back bones with a knife.
3. 3. Sprinkle salt (amount about 3~4% weight of fish) and close its back. Place fish on the flat container. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a day.
4. 4. Remove other smaller bones with bone remover, then rinse it to remove rest of bones and scales. Drain well.
5. 5. Place opened sanma on the container, then pour seasoning A enough to cover the fish. Leave for 30mins to 2hours, depending on your preference of flavor.
6. 6. Drain fish after pickled, and place it on the rice ball, similar size as the fish. Wrap with plastic wrap and shape it nicely.
7. 7. Ready to serve after 1~2 days to let ingredients absorb flavor.
## Provider Information
provider : Nara Food Culture Research Group
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# Tako Momiuri ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Tako Momiuri
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All of Nara Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Octopus, cucumber, white sesame, vinegar, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
‘Tako Momiuri’ is a salad marinated octopus, round-sliced cucumber salted and rubbed in salt, and Japanese vinegarette. Octopus is used wishing to grow rice grounded on the field, like octopus suckers sticking strong, and the dish is offered to the god of paddy fields in the end of the harvest to express appreciation for the year. Octopus is considered as a lucky food and often eaten in the auspicious occasions like weddings or shrine visits for babies. ‘Momiuri’ used julienne cut fried thin tofu instead octopus is a traditional home dish in summer.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is often served in summer because cucumber, one of summer vegetables, is used. It is also served at the ceremony called ‘Sanaburi’ to celebrate the harvest in autumn.
## How to Eat
There used to be many types of hard cucumbers and people had to rub them with salt until the cucumbers got soft. Nowadays, however, it’s enough to massage them with salt gently as current cucumber is softer. It is served as an appetizer with alcohol drink due to its refreshing vinegar.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)It is often prepared at home until now, and the recipe is passing down from parents to children.
## Ingredients
- Cucumber: 200g
- Salt: As needed
- Boiled octopus: 60g
- Roasted white sesame: 4g
- [Awase-zu (sweet and sour dressing)] Vinegar: 2 tbsp.
- [Awase-zu (sweet and sour dressing)] Soy sauce: 1 tsp.
- [Awase-zu (sweet and sour dressing)] Sugar: 1 tsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut cucumbers into round slice, then massage with salt until they get soft.
2. 2. Cut boiled octopuses into bite-sized.
3. 3. Mix vinegar, soy sauce and sugar to make Awase-zu (= sweet and sour dressing).
4. 4. Squeeze cucumbers to remove liquid. Add octopus and marinate with Awase-zu.
5. 5. Plate it and sprinkle roasted white sesames to serve.
## Provider Information
provider : Nara Prefecture
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# Kaki Namasu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kaki Namasu
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All of Nara Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Daikon Radish, Carrot, Dried Persimmons, Vinegar
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In Nara Prefecture, the traditional New Year's dish known as "Kaki-namasu" has been enjoyed for a long time. Kaki-namasu features a combination of daikon radish and carrot, creating a visually appealing red and white mixture symbolizing Mizuhiki (decorative Japanese cord). This color combination carries a wish for peace and harmony, harking back to the Heian period. The addition of dried persimmons to "Kaki-namasu" enhances the overall flavor with the sweetness and richness of the persimmons, resulting in a delightful vinegar-based dish.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
"Namasu" eaten during the New Year often includes daikon radish and carrot, but in Nara, there is a special version called "Kaki-namasu" that uses the local specialty, persimmons. While dried persimmons are commonly used, "Kaki-namasu" with fresh persimmons is also delicious. This dish has been passed down as a traditional New Year's food for a long time.
## How to Eat
"Kaki-namasu" is a simple dish that combines daikon radish, carrot, and dried persimmons mixed with vinegar. During times when sugar was expensive, dried persimmons were used as a substitute for sugar in various dishes. The addition of persimmons to the tangy red and white namasu makes it both easy to eat and delicious. Some variations include garnishing with finely shredded yuzu (citrus) peel.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)"Kaki-namasu" continues to be frequently made in households and passed down from parents to children.
## Ingredients
- Daikon radish: 240g
- Carrot: 28g
- Dried persimmon: 40g
- [Awase-zu(sweet and sour dressing)] Vinegar: 2 tbsp.
- [Awase-zu(sweet and sour dressing)] Sugar: 1-2 tsp.
- [Awase-zu(sweet and sour dressing)] Salt: 1 tsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Mix vinegar, sugar, and salt to create the vinegar dressing.
2. 2. Peel and julienne the daikon radish and carrot. Sprinkle it with salt, mix well, and let sit for a while.
3. 3. Once they become tender from salt, rinse them under running water and squeeze out any excess moisture.
4. 4. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried persimmon and cut it into thin strips.
5. 5. Mix the prepared vinegar dressing with the daikon, carrot, and dried persimmon.
6. 6. Optionally, garnish with julienned yuzu peel for added fragrance.
## Provider Information
provider : "Nara Prefecture's Collection of Local Recipes ~ Growing up healthy as Yamato Children~" (Nara Prefectural Board of Education)
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# Nara Ae ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Nara Ae
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All of Nara Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Nara-zuke (=pickled vegetables), Fiddlehead ferns, Kampyo (=dried gourd strips), Dried shiitake mushrooms, Tsukikonnyaku (konjac strips), Carrots, Fried thin tofu
## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Nara-ae" is a dish that uses Nara's specialty, "Nara-zuke", and is a popular dish even among children. There is a mention of "Kasuzukeuri" in the wooden tablets excavated from the Nara Palace Site, but at that time, sake was more like doburoku (unrefined sake), and it is believed that it was a mixture of vegetables and sediment at the bottom of the container, different from the current sake kasu (sake lees).Nara, known as the birthplace of refined sake, had abundant delicious "sake kasu(=sake lees)", leading to the development of the method for making "kasuzuke(=sake marinate)" from ancient times. However, until the Edo period, it was considered a luxurious item that did not reach the mouths of common people.It is said that "Nara-zuke" was presented to Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, receiving favorable reviews, but these "Nara-zuke" were likely made in temples along with sake. In the Edo period, Itoya Sosen, a Chinese medicine practitioner in Nara, started selling "sake kasu"-pickled white melon to townspeople, marking the first time it entered the mouths of the general public. Subsequently, with travelers visiting Nara spreading the name of "Nara-zuke" nationwide, it has become synonymous with "kasuzuke" (sake marinate).
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
"Nara-zuke" is consumed throughout the year, and the dish using it called "Nara-ae" is also eaten regularly in households as part of daily meals.
## How to Eat
A dish that involves simmering ingredients such as kampyo (=dried gourd strips), dried shiitake mushrooms, carrots, thin strips of deep-fried tofu, and "zenmai (=bracken or fiddlehead fern)" with seasonings, and then adding Nara-zuke. It is best enjoyed not when warm but after it has cooled down, allowing the flavors to blend. Stirring the dish several times while it cools further enhances the flavor.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)Even today, it is frequently prepared in households and passed down from parents to children. It is also served in schools as a school lunch, and it has become a popular dish even among children who may not otherwise like "Nara-zuke".
## Ingredients
- Zenmai (=bracken or fiddlehead fern) (water-boiled): 120g
- Kanpyo (=dried gourd strips): 12g
- Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (medium-sized): 16g
- Tsukikonnyaku (konjac strips): 40g
- Carrot: 40g
- Julienned Fried Thin Tofu (aburaage): 20g
- Nara-zuke (adjust to taste): 40g
- [Seasonings A] Sugar: 20g
- [Seasonings A] Soy Sauce: 20g
- [Seasonings A] Mirin(sweet rice wine): 4g
- [Seasonings A] Vegetable oil: 4g
## Recipe
1. 1. Parboil the tsukikonnyaku (konjac strips).
2. 2. Rehydrate "kanpyo (=dried gourd strips)" and dried shiitake mushrooms. Cut "kanpyo" into 3cm lengths and slice shiitake mushrooms thinly.
3. 3. Remove excess sake lees from "Nara-zuke" and chop finely.
4. 4. Slice carrots thinly. Drain water from zenmai (=bracken or fiddlehead fern) and cut into bite-sized lengths. Parboil the aburaage, drain excess oil, and cut into strips.
5. 5. Heat vegetable oil in a pot, lightly stir-fry all ingredients except "Nara-zuke". Add "dashi (=Japanese soup stock)" and [Seasonings A], simmer until the liquid reduces. Adjust the taste before adding Nara-zuke, then mix thoroughly.
## Provider Information
provider : "Nara Prefecture's Collection of Local Recipes ~ Growing up healthy as Yamato Children~" (Nara Prefectural Board of Education)
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# Warabimochi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Warabimochi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
The whole prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Pure bracken starch, sugar, flour
## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Warabimochi" is a Japanese confectionary made by adding water and sugar to bracken starch, mixing together while heating, then cooling to a solid shape. Nara is particularly famous for producing bracken starch, so it has become a Nara specialty. Bracken starch is made from the starch contained in bracken roots, and it is extremely rare and valuable because it is laborious to produce and only a small amount can be harvested. For this reason, commercially available "warabimochi" is often made with starch from sweet potato, tapioca, or kudzu. In the past, there was a superstition that you could drive away the monsters that emerged from the Uguisuzuka Tumulus on Mt. Wakakusa by burning the mountain. From this superstition, people who passed Mt. Wakakusa began starting fires, which spread to the Todaiji temple grounds and nearby temples, causing constant danger. Eventually, Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, and the Nara magistrate's office, which are all adjacent to Mt. Wakakusa, became involved in the mountain burning. Lots of bracken sprang up after the mountain was burned, and the deer in Nara Park did not eat it so it grew in large amounts and eventually became a production area for bracken starch. This gave rise to the "Wakakusa Yamayaki," a traditional event that signals the arrival of spring in the ancient capital of Nara.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is mainly eaten as a snack throughout the year regardless of the season, but it is especially popular to eat from spring to summer. In 1709, a visitor to the celebratory memorial service for the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple wrote in his travel diary "Neiraku Miyage" that there were "many warabimochi stacked up in the tea houses in from of Hachiman," and it is thought that warabimochi became a specialty around this time.
## How to Eat
Heat bracken starch, sugar, and water in a pot. Continually stir so that it doesn't burn, until it becomes semi-transparent. Turn the heat to low, stir until it becomes transparent, then continue stirring for about two minutes longer. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with soybean flour or brown sugar syrup.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It is sold throughout the year in supermarkets and Japanese confectionary shops. "Warabimochi" made with pure bracken starch is very valuable and only sold in a few high-end Japanese confectionary shops.
## Ingredients
- Bracken starch: 80g
- Granulated sugar: 128g
- Water: 240g
- Corn syrup: 32g
- Soybean flour with sugar: Appropriate quantity
- Brown sugar syrup: Appropriate quantity
## Recipe
1. 1. Mix the bracken starch and granulated sugar together, then slowly add in the water while mixing continuously.
2. 2. Strain the mixture from step 1 through a sieve, the put into a pot and heat. Stir over low heat to avoid burning the bottom.
3. 3. Once it forms a single lump, steam for about 8 minutes until it becomes transparent.
4. 4. Pour it back into the pot, add the corn syrup, stir it over low heat, and continue to thicken until it achieves the characteristic elasticity of Warabimochi.
5. 5. Once thickened, transfer to a bowl sitting in cold water to cool it down.
6. 6. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with soybean flour or brown sugar syrup to taste.
## Provider Information
provider : Kippouan Co., Ltd.
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# Kuzumochi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kuzumochi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Entire prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Yoshino Kudzu Powder, sugar, water, soybean flour, black sugar syrup, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Kuzumochi" is a transparent, pulpy mochi made from kudzu powder. Kudzu, the raw material of kudzu powder, is a perennial plant of the legume family and is widely distributed throughout Japan from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south. The name Kudzu is said to have come from the Kuzubito, a mountain people who lived in the Yoshino region of Nara Prefecture, who made kudzu powder from kudzu and sold it."Kudzu powder" is a natural product that has been repeatedly purified with only groundwater in the middle of winter and dried for 2~3 months, and does not contain any additives. In this way, kudzu powder made of 100% kudzu starch is called "Yoshino honkudzu". In addition, the method of exposing it to cold water many times during the harsh winter is called the Yoshino Zarashi method and is a traditional manufacturing method that has continued since the Edo period. The cold and high-quality water of the Yoshino region of Nara Prefecture produces high-quality kudzu powder.In addition to kuzumochi, kudzu powder is widely used in other dishes and sweets, such as sesame tofu, kuzuyu, kuzu bun, kuzu noodles, and as a thickening agent.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is eaten throughout the year, at any time of year.
## How to Eat
Eat it with any powder or black sugar syrup that you like. When the kuzumochi is chilled, its elasticity increases, but if you eat it freshly made with cold water and eat it while it’s slightly warm inside, you can enjoy its chewy and fluffy texture.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It can be purchased at specialty stores and local shops. In addition, sweets made with kudzu such as ice cream with kuzumochi, shaved ice, and zenzai with kudzu are also sold.
## Ingredients
- Yoshino honKudzu: 80g
- Sugar: 4 tsp.
- Water: 400ml
- Black sugar syrup: Appropriate quantity
- Soybean flour: Appropriate quantity
## Recipe
1. 1. Put Yoshino kudzu powder, sugar, and water in a pot, dissolve well, and put on high heat.
2. 2. Stir until all is transparent.
3. 3. Place in a small bowl.
4. 4. Allow to cool under running water and remove from the container.
5. 5. Serve on a plate and sprinkle with soybean flour and black sugar syrup.
## Provider Information
provider : Inoue Tengyokudo Corporation
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# Hangesho Mochi/Komugi Mochi/Sanaburi Mochi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Hangesho Mochi/Komugi Mochi/Sanaburi Mochi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Entire prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Crushed wheat, glutinous rice, roasted soybean powder
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The 11th day after the summer solstice is known as "Hangesho." In the Nara Basin, the wheat harvest ends and the first stage of the rice planting is completed around the time of "Hangesho," so "Hangesho Mochi" is made as a way to take a break. "Hangesho Mochi" is made by mixing tsubushi komugi (crushed wheat) and glutinous rice, so it is sometimes referred to as "Komugi Mochi." It is also called "Sanaburi Mochi," as it is eaten at the Sanaburi ceremony to thank the gods of the rice paddies after the rice planting.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is often eaten at the end of rice planting. Some regions give it as an offering to the rice paddies.
## How to Eat
"Hangesho Mochi" contains wheat, making it chewy without being sticky, and it is easy to digest without feeling heavy in the stomach.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Some farmers make "Hangesho Mochi" each year when the farm work is over. "Hangesho Mochi" can also be purchased at Japanese confectionary stores.
## Ingredients
- Tsubushi komugi (crushed wheat): 2.5 cups
- Mochiko (glutinous rice): 2.5 cups
- Kinako (roasted soybean flour): To taste
- Sugar: To taste
- Salt: To taste
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the glutinous rice and soak in water overnight.
2. 2. Lightly rinse the crushed wheat.
3. 3. Drain the rice from step 1 and place in a steamer, then place the crushed wheat from step 2 on top and steam.
4. 4. Make mochi from the ingredients in step 3 with a mochi maker (add the wheat later on to maintain the chewiness).
5. 5. Roll into a ball and sprinkle with a mixture of roasted soybean flour and sugar.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: Nara prefecture
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# Asuka Nabe ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Asuka Nabe
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Central and Southern Nara Basin
## Main Ingredients Used
Chicken, milk, vermicelli noodles, shiitake mushroom, napa cabbage, chrysanthemum leaves, carrot, long green onion, burdock root, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Asuka Nabe" is a regional cuisine of Nara prefecture in which chicken and vegetables are simmered in a broth of milk and dashi. During the Asuka period, a messenger who came from China to Nara brought a dairy product resembling condensed milk and presented it to Emperor Kotoku, who was very pleased with it and began raising dairy cows in the Imperial Palace. This is said to be the first instance of drinking milk in Japan. In those days it was a drink for the nobility, but the monks also started drinking it in secret, and eventually began simmering their chickens in the milk, which was the origin of "Asuka Nabe." It began to spread among the common people, but since cow milk was expensive at the time, they used the milk of their goats. The "Asuka Nabe" of today, which uses local milk, was devised as a regional cuisine of Asuka during the early Showa period.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is eaten throughout the year, but more frequently during the winter, as it warms the body.
## How to Eat
"Asuka Nabe" can be eaten with ingredients of your choice, such as seasonal vegetables and chicken. The large amount of vegetables and chicken provide flavor to the broth, and it is delicious to finish with udon noodles at the end. A new regional cuisine based on "Asuka Nabe" called "Yamato Nabe" has become popular in recent years. Yamato Nabe uses soy milk rather than cow milk for a healthy variation that still has a mellow and deep flavor.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It is a standard household dish, and is being passed down from parents to children. It is served in school lunches, and both "Asuka Nabe" and the Yamato Nabe variation made with soy milk are offered in restaurants throughout the prefecture.
## Ingredients
- Yamato Nikudori chicken: 240g
- Vermicelli noodles: 40g
- Shiitake mushroom: 4 pieces
- Napa cabbage: 400g
- Chrysanthemum leaves: 80g
- Carrot: 80g
- Long green onion: 120g
- Burdock root: 60g
- Tofu: 200g
- Milk: 320g
- Chicken broth: 400ml
- White miso: 80g
- Light soy sauce: 4 teaspoons
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the vegetables and other ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
2. 2. Boil chicken stock, add the milk, season with white miso and light soy sauce, and add the ingredients in order of how long they take to cook. Add the chrysanthemum leaves and vermicelli noodles just before serving.
3. 3. When eating, add condiments as desired (green onion, ginger, sudachi citrus, and chili pepper).
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: "Nara Prefecture Regional Cuisine Collection ~Genki ni sodate Yamatokko~" (Nara Prefectural Board of Education)
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# Nyumen ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Nyumen
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Entire prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Somen noodles, dashi broth
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Miwa, Sakurai City, Nara prefecture is known as the birthplace of somen, and the somen made in this region is called Miwa Somen. Over 1200 years ago at Omiwa Shrine, the oldest shrine in Japan dedicated to Mt. Miwa, when people prayed for relief from plague and starvation, they received a revelation from the gods and began sowing wheat in the village of Miwa, then milling it into powder, adding water, and stretched it into thin strings. This is said to be the origin of somen. Even today, the enshrined deity of Omiwa Shrine is considered to be the guardian deity of somen, and the Bokujosai festival that forecasts the market price of the local specialty Miwa Somen for that year is held at the shrine. The technique of applying oil and stretching the noodles thinly was introduced from China during the Kamakura period, and the manufacturing method was nearly perfected during the Muromachi period. The wheat in that region flourishes in the abundant water, and the development of water wheel milling led to the production of high-quality flour. The cold winters and mostly clear skies were suitable for somen production, and the quality of Miwa Somen was so exceptional that it was prominently featured in the Edo period gourmet book "Illustrated Famous Products of the Mountains and Seas of Japan."
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In Miwa, which is famous around the country for its somen production, there is a food culture of eating somen throughout the year, with chilled somen in the summer and "Nyumen" in the winter. Also, "Nyumen" is said to be the accented name for "Nimen".
## How to Eat
Various household uses have emerged, such as using it in the place of pasta or vermicelli noodles. Variations on recipes such as somen carbonara and stir-fried somen are also increasing.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
A "Somen Ordinance" has been enacted in Sakurai City to popularize the locally trademarked Miwa Somen, manufactured with a traditional hand-stretching method that has been passed down through many years. In 2018, a "Somen Summit" was held in the city, in which local students proposed somen dishes. In order to improve the brand recognition of Miwa Somen, it was also registered under the Geographical Indication (GI) protection system.
## Ingredients
- Somen noodles (dried): 100g
- Shimeji mushroom: 40g
- Kamaboko (fish cake): 24g
- Mitsuba (Japanese parsley): 12g
- Dashi broth: 800ml
- [Seasoning A] Light soy sauce: 1／2 teaspoon
- [Seasoning A] Sake: 1 teaspoon
- [Seasoning A] Salt: To taste
## Recipe
1. 1. Place the somen noodles in plenty of boiling water and stir gently. Once boiled, rinse in cold water while massaging by hand, then drain.
2. 2. Warm the dashi broth, then add the Seasoning A ingredients.
3. 3. Divide the shimeji mushrooms into small pieces, cut the kamaboko into 3 mm thick pieces, then add to the pot in step 2 and bring to a gentle boil.
4. 4. Put the somen noodles in a bowl, add the ingredients and broth from step 3, then garnish with mitsuba leaves.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: Nara prefecture
 |
# Kashiwa no Sukiyaki ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kashiwa no Sukiyaki
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Entire prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Chicken, napa cabbage, shirataki noodles, grilled tofu, green onion, shiitake mushroom, chrysanthemum leaves, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In the Kansai region, chicken that is eaten is called "Kashiwa." The guardian deity of Tenjin is a cow, so chicken sukiyaki (hot pot) was eaten during the autumn festivals at Tenmangu Shrine. The name Kashiwa is said to come from the reddish-brown feathers of the chicken that resembles Kashiwa (oak tree) leaves. To revive the flavor of the "Yamato no Kashiwa" chicken, which was famous before the war for its "high-quality meat," "Yamato Nikudori" chicken was bred in the prefecture through trial and error. This chicken is characterized by a deep, umami-rich flavor, moderate fattiness, and a firm texture.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is eaten throughout the year, and is often prepared for special occasions such as celebrations and to serve to guests.
## How to Eat
It is often eaten with a beaten raw egg, but it is also delicious with a slow-cooked egg. At the end, to finish the sukiyaki, it is recommended to add Miwa Somen noodles.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It is frequently made at home, and passed down from parents to children. It is also served in school lunches and offered at restaurants in the prefecture.
## Ingredients
- Yamato Nikudori (chicken thigh): 400g
- Napa cabbage: 1／8 head
- Yuzaki Nebuka (or green onion): 1 bunch
- Yamato Kikuna (or chrysanthemum leaves): 1 bunch
- Shiitake mushroom: 4 pieces
- Shimeji mushroom: 1 pack
- Enoki mushroom: 1 pack
- Grilled tofu: 1／2 pack
- Shirataki noodles: 1 bag
- Vegetable oil: As needed
- [Soup stock] Sake: 360ml
- [Soup stock] Mirin: 180ml
- [Soup stock] Soy sauce: 180ml
- [Soup stock] Brown sugar: 80g
- Eggs of your choice (or slow-cooked eggs): 4 pieces
## Recipe
1. 1. Bring the sake and mirin for the soup stock to a boil in a pot over high heat to cook off the alcohol.
2. 2. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium and add the brown sugar. When the brown sugar melts, add the soy sauce, bring to a boil, then take it off the heat.
3. 3. Slice the chicken diagonally, roughly chop the napa cabbage and green onion, and cut the chrysanthemum in half, removing the roots. Remove the mushroom stems and separate the shimeji and enoki mushrooms into small bunches. Cut the shirataki noodles into 5 cm lengths and boil. Cut the grilled tofu into quarters.
4. 4. Heat vegetable oil in a pan and grill the chicken from step 3 with the skin side down until slightly browned.
5. 5. Put the vegetables and mushrooms from step 3 into the pan from step 4, then add the soup stock and simmer.
6. 6. Once the ingredients are cooked through, it's ready to serve. Eat with eggs of your choice.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: "Yamato Ryori Mozume"
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# Imobota ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Imobota
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Entire prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, taro, adzuki bean
## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Imobota" refers to botamochi (adzuki-bean covered glutinous rice balls) with taro inside. Glutinous rice was valuable, so taro was instead added to Rice flour, and its stickiness was used to make botamochi resembling that made with glutinous rice. It originates from the lifelong wisdom of farmers who value rice. It can be easily digested without feeling heavy, even if you eat a lot. In other prefectures, "Imobota" is made with potato or sweet potato, but "Imobota" in Nara is distinguished by its use of taro. There are many rice paddies in Nara and a flourishing taro cultivation, thus it was thought to use the familiar taro.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is said that eating mochi on the "Day of the Boar" at the end of harvest in November will ward off various sicknesses. It is also called "Inokomochi" (boar mochi), and since boars give birth to five or more offspring at a time, it is said to increase fertility in women. In addition to the "Day of the Boar," "Imobota" are offered at gravesites and Buddhist altars during celebratory days such as the equinoctial week and autumn festivals in the flat part of the Nara Basin. On the "Day of the Boar,” some regions also eat walnut mochi wrapped in bean paste made from soybeans and green soybeans.
## How to Eat
Because it is made with Rice flour rice and taro, the texture remains delightfully soft and chewy, even when cold.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Even today, it is frequently made at home and passed down from parents to children. It is also sold in farm shops as a regional cuisine.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 2 cups
- Taro: 200 to 250g
- Water: 2.4 cups
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Adzuki beans: 200g
- Sugar (for adzuki beans): 200g
- Salt (for adzuki beans): A pinch
## Recipe
1. 1. Peel and cut the taro into bite-sized pieces, then cook with the washed rice, salt, and water. Put the cooked rice in a mortar and mash with a pestle until the taro loses its shape.
2. 2. Shape the mashed rice into balls and wrap in adzuki bean paste.
3. 3. [How to make adzuki bean paste]Wash the adzuki beans, put in about 5 to 6 times the amount of water, bring to a boil, remove from heat and drain the water (to reduce the bitterness). Add the water again and simmer until soft, then add 200g of sugar and a pinch of salt, and knead thoroughly to make a coarse adzuki bean paste.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: Nara prefecture
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# Nara chameshi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Nara chameshi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All over the prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, soybeans, hojicha green tea, water
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The "Omizutori" ceremony held every March at Todaiji Temple has a history of more than 1,200 years, and the original chahan (rice with green tea), called "gecha," is served along with tea porridge in the menu for the procession of participants.Chahan originated in Nara, but did not spread widely among the common people. Travelers who liked chahan brought it back to Edo (present-day Tokyo), and many Nara chahan stores were established near Sensoji Temple in Edo (present-day Tokyo), serving "Nara-cha" markers to attract customers. It became even more famous when it appeared in Jippensha Ikku's "Tokaido Chu Hizakurige" (The Middle Knee-High Tale of the Tokaido Highway). Chahan became widely known throughout Japan because of its well-balanced nutritional diet of rice and soybeans, and because it was easy on the stomach. It is said that it began to spread again in Nara after the Meiji period .
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It has long been eaten at monks' monasteries as a meal for the parade of monks at Todaiji Temple, but there is no specific time of year for eating it nowadays.
## How to Eat
When making this dish at home, you can use soft roasted soybeans that are available during Setsubun to avoid the time and trouble of roasting soybeans. The beans can be easily cooked by placing rice in a rice cooker, pouring hojicha (roasted green tea) into the rice cooker up to the level of the rice, and then adding the beans.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It is made at home and passed down from parents to children. It is also featured in school lunches.
## Ingredients
- rice: 2 cups
- Soybeans: 40 g
- Hojicha (tea leaves): 4g
- Water: Approx. 600ml
- Salt: 4g
## Recipe
1. 1. Boil Houjicha (roasted green tea) and let cool.
2. 2. Roast soybeans over low heat, soak in water immediately when the outer skin cracks slightly, and rub them together with both hands to remove the skin.
3. 3. Wash rice, put it in a rice cooker, add hojicha with normal amount of water, and leave it for 30 minutes.
4. 4. Add the soybeans from 2 and salt to 3 and finish cooking.
## Provider Information
provider : Nara Prefecture
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# Chagayu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Chagayu
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All over the prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, hojicha (green tea)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Tea cultivation in Japan is said to have begun in the early 9th century when Kobo Daishi (Kukai) brought back tea seeds from Tang China and sowed them at Butsuryuji Temple in Uda City.The "Omizutori" ceremony held at Todaiji Temple every March has a history of more than 1,200 years, and "gobo" and "gotcha" appear in the menu of the procession. Gecha" is rice boiled in hojicha and the liquid removed (like the origin of chahan), and "gobo" is tea porridge with a lot of liquid.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Tea porridge in Nara, known as "okai-san," is made by cooking cold rice in boiled hojicha (roasted green tea), and is characterized by its lightness. It is said that "mornings in Yamato start with tea porridge," so tea porridge is a typical daily meal in Nara.
## How to Eat
Nowadays, few households cook "chagoo" every morning, but in Yamato, many households cook rice at night, and it is thought that "chagoo" spread widely among households in order to eat cold rice warmly. To make it more filling, various ingredients such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, taro, chestnuts, and kakimochi were added to the porridge.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Some hotels in Nara Prefecture serve "tea porridge" as a breakfast menu. Some hotels in Nara Prefecture serve "chagrui" as a breakfast menu, and restaurants in Nara Prefecture also serve it.In Yamazoe Village, the bamboo tea bags used for boiling tea leaves have been handed down from generation to generation.
## Ingredients
- rice: 1 cup
- Houjicha (roasted green tea): 30g
- Water: 5 cups
- salt: 1 tsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Cook rice with normal amount of water (not including the quantity of water).
2. 2. Boil Houjicha (roasted green tea).
3. 3. Add rice and salt to 2 and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.When the desired consistency is reached, it is ready to serve.
4. 4. Add steamed sweet potatoes or baked kakimochi (rice cakes), etc., as desired.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by : Nara Prefecture
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# Yamato no zoni ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Yamato no zoni
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All over the prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
round rice cake, celebratory radish, carrot, taro, cotton (momen) tofu, white miso paste, soybean flour
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In Nara, it is a white miso soup with tofu, festive radish, carrot, taro, and round rice cake, etc. In many areas, the rice cake is taken out of the soup and dipped in soybean flour with sugar. Each ingredient has its own story. Tofu is a symbol of a storehouse with white walls, and is believed to wish for the building of a storehouse. Round rice cakes are used and vegetables are sliced into rounds to ensure that the family can live happily throughout the year. In Nara Prefecture, thin daikon radishes about 3 cm in diameter are sold at the end of the year as "celebratory daikon" to be added to zoni. Also, taro is added as a symbol of prosperity of offspring. In the eastern mountainous areas of Nara Prefecture, taro head (yatsutogashira) is added. The head taro contains the wish "to be able to stand on top of others. The yellow color of the soybean flour is also said to wish for a good harvest of rice.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is said that in the old days, people cooked zoni by burning straw and bean husks to pray for a year of laughter and bliss.
## How to Eat
In Nara Prefecture, many people take out the rice cake from the zoni and dip it in soybean flour with sugar.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Even today, it is made at New Year's in every household and passed down from parents to children. It is also enjoyed by the younger generation, as schools have opportunities to make it for school lunch menus and in home economics classes.
## Ingredients
- round cake of rice cake with red bean jam filling: 4 pieces
- Celebration radish: 1／2 piece of radish
- Sugar flavored carrot: 1／2 carrot
- taro: 4 pieces
- tofu: half a knife
- soup stock: 5 cups
- White miso: 80g
- soybean flour with sugar: a little to taste
## Recipe
1. 1. Peel and cut taro into 1cm pieces.
2. 2. Add vegetables to the broth and when softened, add tofu and bring to a boil.
3. 3. Dissolve white miso in a small amount of broth and bring to a boil.
4. 4. Just before serving, bake the round rice cake and put it in the soup.
5. 5. Take out the rice cake and eat with soybean flour.
## Provider Information
provider : Nara Prefecture Rural Lifestyle Research Group Association
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# Naranoppei ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Naranoppei
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All over Nara Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
taro, deep-fried tofu, radish, carrot, dried shiitake mushroom, konnyaku
## History, Origin, and Related Events
One of Nara's local dishes, "Nokpe" is a stew of taro, radish, carrots, and other ingredients. There are "nogpe" and "nogpe soup" all over Japan, but Nara nogpe is a vegetarian dish using kombu (kelp) and dried shiitake mushrooms as the broth, and is characterized by the natural thickening of the taro as it cooks.On December 15, prior to the "Onmatsuri" ceremony held at Nara Kasuga Taisha Shrine on December 17 every year, "Nara-nokppe" is served to Yamatozamurai and visitors to the shrine at the "Oshukusho Matsuri" where Yamatozamurai, the performers of the Onmatsuri, purify themselves.The Onmatsuri festival dates back to 1135 during the Heian period, when Tadamichi Fujiwara prayed for the peace of the people during a time of famine and epidemics throughout the country. It is the festival that concludes the year in Nara.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In Nara, the custom of eating "nokpe" has continued since ancient times. At this time of the year, 3 to 4 cm cubes of thick fried bean curd for nogpe are sold.
## How to Eat
On cold days, it can be eaten as a soup with more broth or as a boiled dish. Although the broth consists only of kombu (kelp) and dried shiitake mushrooms, the flavor of the vegetables can be felt.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It is still eaten at home. It is also served in school lunches in Nara City, providing an opportunity to learn about the history of nokpe, Nara's food culture.
## Ingredients
- taro: 400g
- thick fried tofu: 120g (4 3-4cm cubes)
- Daikon radish: 200g
- Carrot: 100g
- Konnyaku: 200g
- dried shiitake mushroom: 3 medium pieces
- Dashi stock (kelp): 500ml
- salt: 1／2 tsp.
- soy sauce: 5 tbsp.
- mirin (sweet cooking sake): 1 tbsp.
- water for rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms:
## Recipe
1. 1. Peel and pre-boil taro.
2. 2. Cut radish and carrot into large pieces. Cut konnyaku into large pieces and pre-boil.
3. 3. Pour boiling water over deep-fried tofu to remove oil.
4. 4. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in 500 ml of water.
5. 5. Put the ingredients, the juice from the dried shiitake mushrooms, and the broth into a pot and simmer slowly.
6. 6. When the ingredients become soft, add seasonings and simmer further.
7. 7. The taro will naturally thicken as it cooks.
## Provider Information
provider : Nara Prefecture
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# Kakinoha zushi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kakinoha zushi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Gojo City, Yoshino area
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, mackerel, persimmon leaves
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Kakinoha-zushi is pressed sushi made of salted mackerel wrapped in kakinoha (persimmon leaf) with vinegared rice.There are various theories about the origin of Kakinoha Sushi. In the middle of the Edo period (1603-1867), fishermen in Kishu (Wakayama Prefecture), who had to pay a high annual tribute, would take summer mackerel caught in the Kumano Sea, salt them, and sell them over a mountain pass to villages along the Yoshino River in order to raise money. There is a theory that it became a festival food during the summer festivals held in the villages around that time, or that it was changed from a preserved food or a soldier's food.Kakinoha sushi is made from astringent persimmon leaves, which are rich in tannin and have a bright green color. The vinegar in the rice and the persimmon leaves have an antiseptic effect, and by leaving the sushi overnight after it is made, the aroma of the persimmon leaves and the flavor of the mackerel are transferred to the vinegared rice, giving it a unique flavor and making it delicious.Instead of persimmon leaves, "hakinoha-zushi" is made with magnolia leaves that grow wild in the mountains, and is made from around the time of the Boys' Festival through the month of July. The recipe is the same as that for kakinoha sushi, but the aroma of the magnolia leaves is transferred to the vinegared rice.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In the Gojo and Yoshino areas, "Kakinoha Sushi" is made as a summer festival dish. In farming villages, this is the time of year when rice planting is finished and people can take a break, and children help with the preparation. Saba is an important fish as a food for special occasions, and has been served at festive occasions.
## How to Eat
If the rice has become hard due to being too cold in the refrigerator, warm it slightly in a microwave oven to make it tastier.In winter, it is delicious as "Seared Kakinoha Sushi". Wrapped in a persimmon leaf and roasted in a toaster oven for 3-4 minutes, it is ready to eat when the surface of the leaf is slightly charred.Be careful not to overcook it, as it will burn the sushi rice and the ingredients.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Sushi is still made during festivals and other events, and is also served at restaurants. As a representative souvenir of Nara, it is sold at events in department stores nationwide and as ekiben (boxed lunches at train stations), and is widely popular.
## Ingredients
- rice: 2gou
- Salted mackerel fillet: about 150g
- Persimmon leaves: 20 leaves
- Vinegar (for salted mackerel): Appropriate amount
- [Mixed vinegar] Vinegar: 40ml
- [Mixed vinegar] sugar: 25g
- [Mixed vinegar] salt: 4g
## Recipe
1. 1. Clean the front and back of the persimmon leaves and drain.
2. 2. Bone the salted mackerel if it has bones attached (remove all fine bones as well), and then braise in vinegar for about 1 hour. Remove the thin skin and slice into 3-4 mm thin strips.
3. 3. Make mixed vinegar with vinegar, sugar and salt.
4. 4. Cook rice, and as soon as the rice is done cooking, mix vinegar into the rice to make sushi rice.(When cooking rice, add a little kombu and sake to the rice to make it tastier.)
5. 5. Shape the cooled sushi rice into tawara (rice straw).
6. 6. Place the mackerel on a persimmon leaf and wrap it with the rice. （Place the mackerel on a persimmon leaf and wrap it in the vinegared rice.)
7. 7. Pack tightly into a sushi box, place a weight on top, and leave overnight.
## Provider Information
provider : Nara Prefecture Rural Lifestyle Research Group Association
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# Shirasu Don (Whitebait on top of rice) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Shirasu Don (Whitebait on top of rice)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
North Area, Central Area
## Main Ingredients Used
Whitebait, Rice
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Whitebait fishing reaches its peak from late March until May. During that time, lots of young Japanese anchovy, Japanese sardine or round herring are caught. Especially, Kada area in Wakayama City and Yuasa in Arita-gun are prominent areas for whitebait industry; fresh whitebait in Kada and boiled whitebait in Yuasa. In Yuasa area, which boasts the top amount of catching whitebait, the fishers use the technique called ‘batch ami’ when catching whitebait. They pull the fine nets with two small boats to surround groups of fish. The name of this technique came from men’s underwear called ‘batch’ because the net looks like it. The fishers in Enjugahama area, close to Yuasa, have been catching whitebait with traditional seine-fishing.Fresh whitebait is delivered to factories nearby immediately, then boiled with salt in the huge kettles. It will be dried under sunshine after boiled. ‘Shirasu Don’ is a dish with this whitebait put on top of the rice. The locals enjoy it with Yuasa soy sauce or Kinzanji Miso in Yuasa. Some restaurants offer ’Shirasu Don’ with fresh whitebait. It is unique specialty in fishery port.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
You can buy boiled whitebait throughout the year, but it is the best from late March until whole spring.
## How to Eat
Sometimes it is served simply with soy sauce and fish flavor, or you can add ‘Ponzu (=Mixed with soy sauce and citrus juice)’, ‘Umeboshi (=Pickled plum)’ , or Kinzanji Miso. Every home has its own way to enjoy this dish. green leek or green shiso is used for condiments.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)‘Shirasu Don’ in Yuasa is selected as one of ‘The top 30 of Wakayama local food’. There are many restaurants serving ‘Shirasu Don’, with secret sauce from each restaurant. This dish is popular among tourists, too.
## Ingredients
- Boiled whitebait: 240g
- Green shiso: 8
- Umeboshi (=Pickled plum): 4
- Rice: 3 cups
- Sesame oil: 4 tbsp.
- Soy sauce: A little
## Recipe
1. 1. Julienne green shiso.
2. 2. Place freshly cooked rice in a rice bowl.
3. 3. Put whitebait, then sprinkle soy sauce and sesame oil. Place green shiso and umeboshi.
## Provider Information
provider : Wakayama Prefecture JA Women’s Organization Liaison Committee
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# Mikan Mochi (Mandarin Mochi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Mikan Mochi (Mandarin Mochi)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Arita City
## Main Ingredients Used
Glutinous Rice, Mandarin orange, Sugar
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Wakayama Prefecture is one of the top mandarin oranges producing prefecture. Especially Arita area, origin of ‘Arita Mikan’, most mountains are covered with mandarin plantation. In 1574, Magoemon Ito, local farmer from Arita City, brought young mandarin trees from Yatsushiro, (current Kumamoto Prefecture), then planted in Arita. It is the origin of ‘Arita Mikan’. Arita City is mountainous and faces at the sea, and has less flat land. On the other hand, its mild climate is advantage for growing mandarin. Therefore, Kishu Domain (currently Wakayama Prefecture) promoted growing mandarin, and it became thriving. After that, the mandarin trees Ito brought were prevailed, which made Arita area ‘small mandarin in Kishu’ producing area. In 1634, Tobei Takigawara, a tangerine farmer, delivered Kishu mandarin to Edo (current Tokyo) for the first time, Arita mandarin became popular in Edo. When they could not ship due to bad weather in November, 1685, Bunzaemon Kinokuniya, a local merchant, leaned the price of mandarin got skyrocketing in Edo. Then he delivered mandarin by ship in the bad weather and made fortune.‘Mikan Mochi’ (mandarin mochi) is developed during the research of the local cuisine. Mandarins are placed on the glutinous rice and steamed together, then pounded together after the skin of mandarins are removed. It has beautiful color and smells good, and you can enjoy refreshing sour flavor.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
White mandarin flowers burst into bloom in the whole fields and bring great flagrance in Arita City in May. Trees bear yellow fruits in autumn. Farmers start harvesting ‘Goku Wase’ (extremely early maturing) mandarin in October, ‘Wase’ (early maturing) in November, and ‘Ban sei’ (medium maturing) in December.
## How to Eat
It is soft when you eat it as it is. When you toast the surface, you will enjoy two different texture – crispy outside, melty inside.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)There are variety of mochis (mochi mixed with skin, bite-size one, etc.) sold as a local specialty. Also, some mochis are registered in ‘Premier Wakayama’.
## Ingredients
- Glutinous rice: 1.4kg
- Mandarin orange: 5~6
- Lemon: A little
- Sugar: 80g
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the glutinous rice a day before cooking and soak in water over night.
2. 2. Drain water and put the rice into a steamer. Put whole mandarins on the rice, then steam together for one hour.
3. 3. Put steamed rice, mandarins without skins, and sugar into a mochi maker, and pound well.
4. 4. Add lemon to freshly pounded mochi, and make small mochi balls to eat.
## Provider Information
provider : "Let's tell and make the most of Wakayama's food ingredients and food culture" (Wakayama Prefecture Life Research Group Liaison Council, Wakayama Prefecture)
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# Kokera-Sushi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kokera-Sushi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
North Area, South Area
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, Fish, Shrimp, Vegetables
## History, Origin, and Related Events
‘Kokera-Sushi’ is a kind of sushi. Grilled fish flake, Shiitake mushroom, carrots and thin omelette are placed on the vinegared rice into a wooden flame, then pressed. It is said that this dish is the original form of ‘Oshi-Zushi’ or ‘Hako-Zushi’. There are many stories behind the origin of the name. Some said that as wooden frame for sushi was made from ‘Kokera-Ita (=Shingle board)’ , this dish was called ‘Kokera-Sushi'. Others that the dish looked like ‘Kokera (=Woodchips)’ . The ingredients vary depending on the region. People used to have a summer festival for fish memorial service and for prayer for good catch through the year around Tanoura Fish Port in Wakayama City. ‘Kokera-Sushi’ prepared with ‘Himeji (=Japanese goatfish)’ or ‘Eso (=Synodontidae)’ caught during spring and summer was served in the festival. The locals prepared ‘Himeji’ in advance when the summer festivals were approaching because ‘Himeji’ had to be fillet and left for a while after salt was sprinkled over it. In Saigasaki area in Wakayama City, minced ‘Eso’ caught with bottom trawling is used in ‘Kokera-Sushi’. The fish is grilled after being fillet. The dish is one of the hospitality foods in the area, and is also called ‘Tonton-Zushi’ from the sound making minced fish with knife.In Matsue area in Wakayama City, vinegared rice and flakes of shrimp or sea bream are placed in many layers to make ‘Kokera-Sushi’. Red fish can be replaced with shrimp. Many ingredients like black beans, river shrimp, shiitake mushroom, freeze-dried tofu, carrots, are used in Nachi Katsuura region. ‘Basho (=Hardy banana)’ leaves in summer, or ‘Takana (=mustard green)’ leaves in autumn are used as a sushi divider.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
This dish was an auspicious food to be served at celebration like summer festivals or autumn festival.
## How to Eat
You can grill the sushi to enjoy different flavor when sushi gets hard.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)In Wakayama City, there are many events like local food cooking classes to teach the locals or students how to cook local food like ‘Kokera-Sushi’.
## Ingredients
- [Vinegar rice] Rice: 5 cups
- [Vinegar rice] Vinegar: 90ml
- [Vinegar rice] Sugar: 90g
- [Vinegar rice] Salt: 25g
- Egg: 2
- ‘Takana (=mustard green)’ leaf: 5-6
- Black bean: 100g
- Shiitake mushroom: 6
- Freeze-dried tofu: 4
- Carrot: 1
- River shrimp: 100g
- Red pickled ginger: 1 tbsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Make thin omelette, then cut it into 1cm (0.4 inch) squares
2. 2. Season black beans, river shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, gobou (=burdock), freeze-dried tofu and carrots with broth, sugar, soy sauce or salt separately. (Cut these ingredients smaller than beans.)
3. 3. Place ‘takana’ in the bottom of a box, then place vinegar rice tight to 1cm (0.4 inch) thick.
4. 4. Make the surface flat, then sprinkle ingredients 3.
5. 5. Place ‘takana’ over it, then vinegar rice, and sprinkle ingredients 3.
6. 6. Repeat 5 to make 2-3 layers.
7. 7. Place ‘takana’ over the layer in the end. Put a plate on it, then put stone weight (3-4kg) and leave it more than 12hours.
## Provider Information
provider : "Let's tell and make the most of Wakayama's food ingredients and food culture" (Wakayama Prefecture Life Research Group Liaison Council, Wakayama Prefecture)
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# Imo Mochi / Sweet Potato Mochi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Imo Mochi / Sweet Potato Mochi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Southern Area
## Main Ingredients Used
Sweet potato, Glutinous rice flour
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In regions along the Kumano Sea, where there is limited flat land suitable for rice cultivation due to the proximity of mountains to the sea, sweet potatoes (satsuma imo) became a staple food alongside barley. The red soil plateau makes it easy to cultivate sweet potatoes, and the sweet flavor of the harvested produce makes it a daily dietary staple, often replacing rice. The ingenuity of using fewer glutinous rice to make mochi from sweet potatoes played a role in its popularity.Sweet potato cultivation in the Kumano region started during the Edo period. Umematsu Yasuke, a resident of Kushimoto, discovered the deliciousness of sweet potatoes during a visit to Hyuga in Kyushu and brought them back to Kushimoto. The climate and conditions of Kii Province (now Wakayama Prefecture) proved suitable for sweet potato cultivation, leading to widespread adoption in various parts of the southern part of the prefecture. During that time, sharing seedlings or cultivation methods outside the domain was prohibited to protect the domain's interests. Umematsu Yasuke, who brought sweet potatoes to the distant southern region of the prefecture, was posthumously honored, receiving recognition from the Governor of Wakayama Prefecture during the Meiji period.Apart from "imomochi" (sweet potato rice cake), there are other local dishes using sweet potatoes, such as "ukeja" (sweet potato with tea), "imochagayu" (sweet potato rice porridge), "imogohan" (sweet potato rice), and "yude hoshiimo" (boiled dried sweet potatoes).
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Nowadays, it is enjoyed as a snack by both children and adults.
## How to Eat
When freshly made, it is soft and can be eaten as is, but it becomes firm when it cools down, so it is often grilled before eating. In the past, when sugar was precious, it was made with only the sweetness of sweet potatoes. However, nowadays, some people add sweet red bean paste to enhance the sweetness according to their preferences.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)It is a classic snack that is always available at roadside stations and other places. There are also specialty shops that specialize in selling "imo mochi."
## Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes (peeled): 4 kg
- White mochi rice (=Glutinous rice Cake): About 2.2 kg
- Toriko (=starch): As needed
- An(=Sweet red bean paste): As needed (to taste)
- Salt: A pinch
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the mochi rice and soak it in water overnight.
2. 2. Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them into appropriate sizes, and remove any bitterness.
3. 3. Steam the sweet potatoes, then place the mochi rice on top and steam again.
4. 4. Transfer the mixture to a mochi-pounding machine, add 10g of salt, and pound.
5. 5. Spread toriko (=starch) on a surface, place the pounded mixture, and add an(=sweet red bean paste) inside.
## Provider Information
provider : "Let's tell and make the most of Wakayama's food ingredients and food culture"
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# Inoko Mochi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Inoko Mochi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Northern and Southern Area
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, Glutinous rice, Satoimo(=Japanese taro), Sweet red bean paste
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The boar, worshipped as the god of agriculture since ancient times, is said to visit in the spring of the second month of the lunar calendar to create rice and barley fields and engage in farming. After completing agricultural work, the boar returns in the autumn of the tenth month of the lunar calendar. In the northern regions where rice cultivation was prosperous, there was a tradition of offering "Inoko Mochi," rice cakes coated with sweet red bean paste, to express gratitude for the harvest on the day of the boar in autumn. In a normal year, 12 "Inoko Mochi" and in a leap year, 13 "Inoko Mochi" are placed in a measuring cup (masu), half of each.In the southern region of the prefecture, "Inoko Mochi" is also made at an autumn festival in the Ayukawa area of Oto Village in Tanabe City. The custom involves offering sake, grilled saury, new rice in a straw bag, daikon radish salad, yuzu, cooked newly harvested rice, and chrysanthemum flowers. This type of mochi is also known as "Innoko Mochi." In the past, there was a tradition where children would visit each house, sing songs, and receive mochi.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
On the first Day of the Boar in October of the lunar calendar, people express gratitude for the abundance of autumn. They offer thanks to the deities, celebrate the "First Day of the Boar," and invite relatives to share "Inoko Mochi." Therefore, as the autumn harvest concludes, preparations are made for the mochi-making event dedicated to this special day.
## How to Eat
"Inoko Mochi" is made by cooking glutinous rice and about half the amount of non-glutinous rice along with taro. While it is still warm, mash the taro and mix it with rice. This mixture is called "Saru no Atama (monkey head)," and it is shaped into rounds slightly larger than Anko Mochi. On top of it, a sweet azuki bean paste with added salt is placed. In the past, sugar was not included in the sweet bean paste. "Inoko Mochi" maintains a good texture and is not too firm even when cooled, providing a delightful mouthfeel.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)In some areas of the Ito region, there are efforts to pass down the tradition by teaching the preparation method during school outreach programs. Students learn how to make "Inoko Mochi" and enjoy eating it together, contributing to the preservation of this cultural practice.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 4 cups
- Glutinous rice: 2 cups
- Satoimo(=Japanese taro): 500g
- Salt: 2 tsp.
- [Anko(Red Bean Paste)] Azuki beans(=Red beans): 400g
- [Anko(Red Bean Paste)] Sugar: 500g
- [Anko(Red Bean Paste)] Salt: 1 tsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Add enough water to the azuki beans(=Red beans), cook until they become soft, and then add sugar and salt. Simmer until it thickens, creating grainy red bean paste.
2. 2. Wash the rice and glutinous rice, then let them soak for about 30 minutes.
3. 3. Peel and chop the satoimo(=Japanese taro) into small pieces. Parboil them briefly to remove any bitterness.
4. 4. Add salt to the rice and glutinous rice. Cook them together to make a slightly firm rice.
5. 5. While still hot, grind the mixture well using a surikogi (Japanese mortar and pestle) to create round, flat rice cakes.
6. 6. Wrap the rice cakes with the red bean paste.
## Provider Information
provider : "Let's tell and make the most of Wakayama's food ingredients and food culture"
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# Kakimaburi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kakimaburi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Iwade city, Kinokawa city
## Main Ingredients Used
rice, dried tofu, dried shiitake mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The Naga region is situated in the eastern part of the Kino River Plain. The area is known for producing rice, persimmons, peaches, and other crops that are well-suited to the climate. During the Edo period, irrigation canals were built which helped the region develop into a granary in the prefecture. The region has a long-standing tradition of making sushi, which is prepared using rice, dried foods, and seasonal vegetables grown in the area. Kakimaburi, a chirashi-zushi dish made by mixing sushi rice with seasonal vegetables and other ingredients, is a local delicacy. It is often prepared in large quantities for celebrations and other gatherings at home, and in the past, was a feast during the rice-planting season. The word "maburi" is a dialect term in the Naga region that means "to stir." When mixed with “kakimaze” (to stir), it became "kakimaburi.”
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
This dish is typically prepared when hosting a large number of guests, such as during celebrations and equinoxes. To accommodate for the unknown number of guests, make a lot of kakimaburi and soup. As all the ingredients are cooked together in the same broth, it is easy to make a large quantity. Historically, this dish used only dried fish and vegetables, but it has evolved to include shrimp and other ingredients in recent times, which has been passed down to the next generation.
## How to Eat
Mix dried fish and local seasonal vegetables such as dried tofu, dried shiitake mushrooms, burdock root, etc. with sushi rice, and garnish with egg and red pickled ginger. Depending on the region, shirasu (baby sardines) and pickled plums are added, local citrus fruits are used as sushi vinegar, and chirimenjako (dried baby sardines) are added to the vinegar mixture to enhance its flavor.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Takamaburi made with locally-sourced ingredients, including nabana, is sold at a processing and sales center in Iwade City. This dish has gained popularity among the locals and is also included in cooking classes at nearby junior high schools, making it a part of the younger generation's culinary heritage.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 4 cups
- Soup stock: 2 cups
- Koya-dofu (dried tofu): 1 slice
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: 3
- Bamboo shoots: 100g
- Carrot: 100g
- Red fish paste: 1／2
- Green beans: 70g
- Broiled egg: 3 eggs
- Powdered nori: Appropriate quantity
- Red ginger: Appropriate quantity
- [Vinegar mixture] Vinegar: 75ml
- [Vinegar mixture] Sugar: 40g
- [Vinegar mixture] Salt: 1tsp.
- [Vinegar mixture] Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine): 2 tbsp.
- [Seasoning A] Light soy sauce: 2 tbsp.
- [Seasoning A] Sugar: 20g
- [Seasoning A] Mirin: 1 tbsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Soak koya-dofu in hot water, then squeeze it well between your palms, and cut it into small strips.
2. 2. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water to rehydrate them, remove any stones, and cut them into small pieces. Cut bamboo shoots and red fish paste into small pieces. Wash and peel carrots, then cut them into small pieces as well.
3. 3. Remove the muscles from the beans, boil them in salted water, and cut them into diagonal slices.
4. 4. In a separate saucepan, combine broth and seasoning A. Bring to a boil, then add ingredients 1 and 2 and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the fish paste just before turning off the heat.
5. 5. Drain the ingredients from step 4 and add them to the sushi rice. Mix everything together.
6. 6. Serve the mixture in a bowl and sprinkle it with egg, string beans, shredded red ginger, and chopped nori.
## Provider Information
provider : " A recipe collection of "Taste of Naga"(Naga Marugoto Fair Executive Committee, etc.)
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# Kaki-made Gohan (Kaki-made Rice) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kaki-made Gohan (Kaki-made Rice)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Hidaka Region
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, grilled mackerel, carrots, freeze-dried tofu, dried shiitake mushrooms, fried tofu, chikuwa (fish cakes), konjac, bamboo shoots
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In the Hidaka region, “kaki-made rice” has traditionally been served at celebrations, memorial services, Hina-matsuri, festivals, and other gatherings. The dish consists of rice mixed with ingredients cooked in a broth made from grilled fish bones, seasoned with seasonal vegetables and sake―no vinegar is used. The term kaki-made is a colloquial expression of kaki-maze, which means “mixed.” The dish likely originated from the abundant mackerel caught in the Hidaka region. Unlike chirashi sushi, kaki-made rice is a mixed rice dish with a gentle, homey flavor that utilizes fresh mackerel caught from the Kii Channel and vegetables grown in the warm climate.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
This dish has traditionally been served at gatherings such as celebrations, memorial services, and festivals.
## How to Eat
This dish is made by cooking various ingredients in a broth made from mackerel bones. The seasoned ingredients are then mixed into warm rice. In some regions, a small amount of vinegar is also added.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Local women in Inami are actively involved in spreading the tradition of kaki-made rice. They teach the recipe at local schools and participate in community events. As part of these efforts, a pre-packaged"Kaki-Made Rice Mix" has been commercialized. Since all one needs to do is mix it with rice, the product has gained popularity, especially among younger generations. Older people also appreciate its nostalgic taste.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 5 cups
- Sake: 50ml
- [Kaki-made rice ingredients] Grilled mackerel: 1／2 (approx. 200g)
- [Kaki-made rice ingredients] Carrots: 1／2 (approx. 60g)
- [Kaki-made rice ingredients] Freeze-dried tofu: 2 (approx. 30g)
- [Kaki-made rice ingredients] Dried shiitake mushrooms: 2-3 (approx. 15g)
- [Kaki-made rice ingredients] Fried tofu: 1 (approx. 50g)
- [Kaki-made rice ingredients] Chikuwa (rice cakes): 1 (approx. 50g)
- [Kaki-made rice ingredients] Konjac: 1／2 (approx. 120g)
- [Kaki-made rice ingredients] Burdock: 50g
- [Kaki-made rice ingredients] Snow peas: Appropriate quantity
- [Kaki-made rice ingredients] Pickled red ginger: Appropriate quantity
- [Seasoning] Soy sauce: 120ml
- [Seasoning] Sugar: 130g
- [Seasoning] Dashi broth: 300ml
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the rice, drain it, and cook it in a rice cooker with sake and water. Cook it to be slightly firm.
2. 2. Debone the grilled mackerel and shred it.
3. 3. Add 300ml of water to the mackerel bones to make dashi broth.
4. 4. Rehydrate the freeze-dried tofu and dried shiitake mushrooms, then julienne them. Julienne the carrot as well.
5. 5. Julienne the konjac and quickly boil it to remove the harsh taste.
6. 6. Place the shredded mackerel, julienned ingredients, and burdock in a pot. Add sugar and soy sauce to the dashi broth from step 3 and simmer.
7. 7. Mix the cooked ingredients and broth from step 6 into the cooked rice.
8. 8. Plate the dish, and garnish with julienned salt-boiled snow peas and julienned pickled red ginger.
## Provider Information
provider : Hidaka Regional Life Research Group Association
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# Kaki no Ha Zushi (Persimmon Leaf Sushi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kaki no Ha Zushi (Persimmon Leaf Sushi)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Katsuragi, Kudoyama
## Main Ingredients Used
Persimmon leaves, rice, mackerel, shiitake mushrooms, shrimp
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The Ito region in the Kinokawa River basin is famous for its persimmons, especially Kudoyama for Fuyu persimmons and Katsuragi for seedless persimmons. Persimmon leaf sushi, which consists of sushi rice and toppings wrapped in autumnal persimmon leaves, is said to have originated in the Edo period and was once a delicacy served during autumn festivals. Persimmon leaves contain a high amount of tannin with antibacterial and antioxidant properties, which likely improved the preservation of the sushi. The ingredients include seafood like mackerel and shrimp brought by boat from the Kumano Sea to the upper reaches of the Kinokawa River, as well as shiitake mushrooms, kamaboko (fish cakes), fried tofu, and eggs―essentially any available ingredients.The persimmon leaves used are beautifully autumn-colored leaves from astringent persimmons, preferably harvested in good, dry weather. The unique fragrance of the persimmon leaves enhances the depth of flavor in the sushi.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
While once a festive food indispensable for autumn festivals, these days it is eaten year-round using a variety of ingredients. People sometimes pickle persimmon leaves in salt for preservation, so that they can prepare persimmon leaf sushi for guests at any time.
## How to Eat
Wrap the sushi with a persimmon leaf and press it overnight with a weight. This helps the vinegar, white rice, and other ingredients to blend well, enhancing the flavor. Since it is wrapped in bite-sized pieces with persimmon leaves, you can eat it easily without chopsticks, using the leaf as a plate.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
This dish continues to be beloved by people of all ages. Ingredients have evolved to include not just mackerel but also sea bream, salmon, and Kumano beef. Specialized shops and department stores sell it as a specialty product of Wakayama. Some shops in the region have registered their persimmon leaf sushi as an Excellent Local Product under the "Premier Wakayama" brand, preserving its traditional taste. In some areas of the Ito region, the tradition is also being passed down through cooking classes in elementary schools.
## Ingredients
- Rice: Approx. 1.8l
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: Appropriate quantity
- Persimmon leaves: 90-100 leaves
- Salted mackerel: Appropriate quantity
- Dried shrimp: Appropriate quantity
- [Seasoning A] Sugar: 150-170g
- [Seasoning A] Vinegar: 180-200ml
- [Seasoning A] Salt: 1 tbsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Make 90 to 100 sushi rice balls.
2. 2. Use astringent persimmon leaves.
3. 3. Thinly slice the mackerel and marinate it in vinegar for about 30 minutes.
4. 4. Rehydrate the shrimp and simmer it.
5. 5. Rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms and simmer them.
6. 6. Wrap the sushi rice and ingredients with a persimmon leaf and press them in a sushi bowl.
## Provider Information
provider : "Revitalize and Pass On! Wakayama's Ingredients and Food Culture" (Wakayama Prefecture Living Research Group Liaison Council & Wakayama Prefecture)
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# Umeboshi (pickled plums) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Umeboshi (pickled plums)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Minabe Town, Tanabe City
## Main Ingredients Used
Plums
## History, Origin, and Related Events
During the Edo period, barren land that could not be used for rice cultivation was exempt from payment of annual tribute. The Tanabe fief of the Kishu domain covered plenty of barren land, and the farmers were burdened by heavy annual tribute payments. To alleviate the farmers’ hardship, Naotsugu Ando, the lord of the Tanabe domain, turned his attention to the yabu-ume plum, which grew wild in the barren land, and encouraged the farmers to cultivate it. This is believed to be the beginning of large-scale plum cultivation in Wakayama Prefecture. In addition to the mild climate, the region was surrounded by small hills and received ample sunlight, making it suitable for plum cultivation, and as a result plum cultivation took hold in the southern part of the prefecture. The high-quality umeboshi produced in this region came to be known as “Tanabe plums”, and were highly praised, even in Edo.After the Meiji period, the demand for umeboshi increased as they were used for military rations during the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars as well as World War II, leading to an increase in production. In addition, the demand for umeboshi also increased due to cholera and dysentery outbreaks during the period spanning 1877-1887.The large, thick-fleshed nanko-ume plum was selected and registered as a variety in 1965 after many years of searching for a superior strain. Every year from the end of January to the end of February, plum blossoms bloom in plum groves, with “a million petals in a single glance, with a fragrance that spreads for ten li”.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Every year, many households make their own umeboshi in their own way. In the past, it was also customary to dry plums during the summer. The dried plums to be eaten that year would then be pickled in plum vinegar, with the rest stored as emergency rations in the event of a disaster.
## How to Eat
Umeboshi can be eaten as is or on top of white rice, and it can also be added when boiling bluefish to get rid of the fishy smell.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Due to postwar food shortages, plum trees were cut down and replaced with sweet potatoes and other crops, leading to a decline in plum cultivation. However, postwar reconstruction efforts have resulted in plum production recovering. Currently, Wakayama Prefecture accounts for approximately 60% of the nation's plum production, with Minabe Town and Tanabe City accounting for about 80% of the prefecture's total production.
## Ingredients
- Yellow (ripe) plums: 1kg
- Coarse salt: 200g
- Plastic food storage bags: 2
- Shochu or vinegar: To taste
- Weight: 1kg (same weight as plums)
## Recipe
1. 1. Rinse the plums in cold water and drain well.
2. 2. Disinfect the inside of the food storage bags with shochu (35° C or higher) or vinegar.(Use thick food storage bags from reputable manufacturers to prevent leakages)
3. 3. Mix the salt and plums in the food storage bags. Remove air from the bag once the salt and plums are evenly mixed. Tightly seal the mouth of the bags.
4. 4. Place one of the bags on top of the other and lay them flat on a plate so that the weight of the bag on top is evenly distributed. Place a weight on top of the bag on top.（A plate is used to guard against the risk of leakage）
5. 5. The plum vinegar will rise to the top after 2-3 days. Remove the weight. If air comes out of the bags, quickly remove the air. Tightly seal the mouth of the bags.
6. 6. The pickling process is complete after roughly one month. (The plums can be left as is) Dry the plums in the sun for 3-4 days during a spell of good weather. Make sure to expose the plums evenly to the sun.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by: Wakayama Prefecture Agricultural Cooperative Union
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# Utsubo (moray eel) cuisine/utsubo tsukudani ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Utsubo (moray eel) cuisine/utsubo tsukudani
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Southern Wakayama Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Utsubo, soy sauce, sugar, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Known as the “gangster of the sea”, the utsubo (moray eel) has an unpredictable temperament as well as sharp upper and lower teeth. The fierce-looking utsubo only consumed in several regions, including the southern region of Wakayama Prefecture. There are about 200 recognized species of utsubo, most of which are 1-1.5 meters long and weigh 1-5 kilograms. Utsubo are in season from November to March, but those caught during the cold season are more delicious because they are fatty and do not smell as much. The flesh of utsubo is white, translucent, and elastic, with a light flavor. In addition to being rich in protein, calcium, and iron, the gelatin between the flesh and skin is rich in collagen.In Wakayama Prefecture, utsubo are often dried before being eaten, and the sight of large quantities of cut open utsubo being dried is common during the fall and winter fishing seasons in the southern part of the prefecture. Utsubo tsukudani, made by frying dried utsubo and boiling it in soy sauce, is a particular regional specialty. In addition to tsukudani, utsubo is also used in hot pots, sashimi, seared utsubo dishes, fried dishes, etc. Its white flesh, which does not have a strong flavor, goes well with all kinds of dishes and can be eaten in various ways, making it a favorite delicacy in the fall and winter since ancient times.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Utsubo is in season from fall to winter and is eaten during the cold season. In addition to utsubo tsukudani, utsubo sashimi, and fried utsubo, processed utsubo is also sold, making them easy to eat. Processed fried utsubo is also a popular gift as it goes well with alcohol.
## How to Eat
For tsukudani, combine soy sauce, sugar, and mirin with water to make a sauce and simmer until thickened. Once done, quickly combine the crispy fried utsubo with the sauce.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Utsubo have many bones that are difficult to remove, so they are rarely cooked at home. Seared utsubo and utsubo tsukudani are widely available as they are sold at supermarkets and served at restaurants.
## Ingredients
- Dried moray eel: 1
- Frying oil: As needed
- Sauce ratio: 2 parts sugar, 1 part soy sauce, 1／3 part mirin, 1 part water (adjust amount to taste):
## Recipe
1. 1. Heat the oil at medium heat and deep fry the moray eel until golden brown. (The utsubo will taste bitter if fried for too long and raw if fried for not long enough)
2. 2. Combine the ingredients for the sauce, heat and simmer until thickened, and quickly add the sauce to the utsubo in 1.
3. 3. The bottom part of the cut and dried utsubo contains many bones. Pound it with a hammer and cut into 2.5cm x 1cm strips.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by: “Nishimuro Regional Specialties and Flavors” (Nishimuro Region Livelihood Improvement Friendship Association (now Nishimuro Region Livelihood Research Group Liaison Council))
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# Simmered igami (Japanese parrotfish) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Simmered igami (Japanese parrotfish)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Around Tanabe City
## Main Ingredients Used
Igami
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Commonly known as “budai”, igami (Japanese parrotfish) is a typical inshore fish that can be found in the southern regions of Wakayama Prefecture. Igami has a distinctive fishy smell in summer, but from fall through winter, the smell disappears due to the fish’s staple food of seaweed found on rocky shores, and its thick white flesh is plump and succulent. In Tonda in Shirahama Town and around Tanabe City, it is customary to eat boiled whole igami instead of sea bream during the New Year. Igami is also a key part of fish dishes served during festivals. It is said that the name “budai” originated from a saying that “lords would eat tai (sea bream), and the common people would make do with fish that had “tai” in its name”. Igami was not a particularly popular fish for eating, but it is thought that it gained popularity because of its delicious taste.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Igami is caught by gill-net fishing from November to January. In winter, the taste of igami is best when the temperature of the tide is below 20 degrees Celsius, but the taste changes when the temperature of the water rises, and because of this, the igami caught north of Tanabe City is more valuable. In Tonda in Shirahama Town and Tanabe City, igami is boiled and eaten during the New Year instead of sea bream.
## How to Eat
Igami is simmered whole with sugar, soy sauce, and sake before being served. Because its entrails are removed before cooking, daikon slices are stuffed into the belly of igami to maintain its shape when it is served during festivals and celebrations. When simmered, the flesh of the igami is succulent, delicious, falls away from the bones easily. The broth from simmering igami is rich in gelatin and becomes cloudy when cool. It can be eaten together with the flesh to create an aroma and unique flavor reminiscent of the ocean. Igami is a versatile fish that can be used not only for simmering, but also for making miso soup, fried fish, stews, and dried fish.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Simmered igami is a fish dish that has been passed down from generation to generation in the southern part of the prefecture. It is a typical inshore fish that is an indispensable part of fish dishes served during local festivals and the New Year.
## Ingredients
- Igami: 2
- Daikon: 1
- Bamboo sheath: 1 pc
- Sake: 200ml
- [Seasoning A] Soy sauce: 200ml
- [Seasoning A] Water: 200ml
- [Seasoning A] Mirin: 200ml
- [Seasoning A] Sugar: 70-100g
## Recipe
1. 1. Remove the scales and innards of the igami and cut slits in the fish.
2. 2. Cut the daikon into 2cm slices.
3. 3. In a saucepan, bring the sake to a boil, then add seasoning A and simmer.
4. 4. Place the daikon slices on top of the bamboo sheath and place the igami on top of the daikon slices. Lift carefully using the bamboo sheath and transfer to a pot.（Stuff the daikon slices into the belly of the igami.)
5. 5. Cook over high heat, occasionally basting with the broth.
## Provider Information
provider : "Let's tell and make the most of Wakayama's food ingredients and food culture" (Wakayama Prefecture Lifestyle Research Group Liaison Council, Wakayama Prefecture)
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# Narezushi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Narezushi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Arita Region
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, mackerel
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Narezushi has long been a common sight at festivals as well as local and regional events. It is a preserved food that makes use of fermented rice to preserve fish, and the technique involved in making narezushi is still in use today. Wakayama's narezushi is said to be one of the three most famous narezushi in Japan, with a history of more than 800 years. There are various theories about the origin of narezushi, but it is said to have originated when salted mackerel was stuffed with rice and wrapped in leaves. When the salted mackerel was unwrapped to be eaten after several days, the rice within had fermented, combining with the mackerel to become a delicious sushi dish.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Narezushi was also served during autumn festivals. From the vigil on the eve of a festival until the day after the festival, every member of a family will eat a piece of narezushi with every meal. Guests are served well-pickled sweet narezushi alongside ginger and amazake (sweet sake). Although not a common sight nowadays, families who make authentic narezushi begin by pickling mackerel in salt one month before actually making the narezushi. Dozens of mackerel are delivered in large boxes around the end of the Obon festival and made into narezushi, which are then packed in stacked boxes and distributed to relatives.
## How to Eat
The mackerel is pickled in salt for at least a month, and the salt is removed over the course of an entire day. Old rice that is sticky and can be easily shaped is often used. Salt is added to the rice before it is cooked, and the mackerel is placed on top of the firmly shaped rice. The narezushi is then wrapped tightly in leaves that have antiseptic properties and tied with string, after which it is packed firmly in a wooden bucket with a weight on top. After about five days, the narezushi will begin to give off a distinctive smell. The leaves used to wrap the sushi are generally taken from plants that are conveniently available, such as Japanese banana leaves in the former Shimizu Town (now Aritagawa Town); reeds in Hidaka District, Ryujin Village in Tanabe City, and Arita City; and reeds and cast-ironm plant (baren) leaves in the former Kibi Town (now Aritagawa Town). In addition, every household prepares pickled fish using fish that can be caught locally, such as mackerel in the Arita and Hidaka regions, and saury and sweetfish in the area spanning Kushimoto to Shingu.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
In recent times, hayanarezushi has become popular and can be found at local restaurants. It is also available at direct sales outlets.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 1.8l
- Plum vinegar: 90ml
- Salted mackerel: 2 large
- Pcs reed leaves: 70
- Vinegar: 65ml
- [Seasoning A] Kombu: 10cm
- [Seasoning A] Sake: 180ml
- [Seasoning A] Salt: To taste
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the rice and set aside for 1 hour.
2. 2. Add Seasoning A to the rice and cook.
3. 3. Mix plum vinegar into the cooked rice and separate into 60 pieces.
4. 4. Cut the salted mackerel into thin slices and marinate in vinegar.
5. 5. Place the salted mackerel slices on top of the nigirizushi rice and wrap it in the reed leaves.
6. 6. Pack the sushi tightly in a sushi container, put a weight on it, and leave for four days before serving.
## Provider Information
provider : "Let's tell and make the most of Wakayama's food ingredients and food culture" (Wakayama Prefecture Lifestyle Research Group Liaison Council, Wakayama Prefecture)
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# Gomadoufu(Sesame tofu) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Gomadoufu(Sesame tofu)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Northern Wakayama Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Sesame seeds, Yoshino arrowroot
## History, Origin, and Related Events
“Sesame tofu” is said to have originated as one of the vegetarian Buddhist dishes eaten by monks practicing austere asceticism at Mount Koya, a temple settlement founded by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) roughly 1,200 years ago. Sesame is an extremely nutritious food that was once considered to be a valuable medicine in China. It is said that Kobo Daishi, who traveled to China as an envoy to the Tang Dynasty, brought sesame back to Mount Koya and began cultivating it in Japan. Buddhist cuisine, which does not include meat or fish, tends to lack protein, and as a result, it is believed that people adhering to a diet consisting of Buddhist cuisine supplemented their diet by eating sesame, which contains high quality protein.Sesame tofu was later conceived as an efficient way of consuming the nutrients contained in sesame. The skin is removed from raw sesame seeds without roasting and mixed with Yoshino arrowroot and water from Mount Koya. The mixture is then ground with a mortar and pestle and cooked. There is also an alternative theory that sesame tofu has its origins in “ma tofu”, a dish described in “Japanese and Chinese Buddhist Cuisine” published in 1697.During the Showa period, sesame tofu gained widespread recognition as a Mount Koya specialty, and today it is one of the staple dishes of Japanese cuisine.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Sesame tofu was a core part of the diet of Buddhist monks practicing ascetism at Mount Koya. Even today, it is a common dish served as part of Buddhist meals at Mount Koya and other Zen Buddhist temples. Outside of Mount Koya, sesame tofu is also available at stores, roadside stations, and supermarkets, making it a familiar dish.
## How to Eat
Sesame tofu is usually eaten with wasabi soy sauce or vinegar miso paste, but it is also delicious when combined with soup stock, or when eaten as a dessert, drizzled with wasanbon sugar or black honey.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Sesame tofu has been commercialized by manufacturers and has become a common sight in local specialty stores and supermarkets. Manufacturers are also working to deepen elementary school students’ understanding of sesame tofu by having them experience growing white sesame and making sesame tofu themselves. Tofu stores in Wakayama City will also sell raw sesame tofu, which is sesame tofu that is made with raw instead of roasted sesame, upon request. Raw sesame tofu does not keep for more than a day, but it is exceptionally delicious.
## Ingredients
- White sesame seeds: 1 cup
- Yoshino arrowroot: 70g
- Water: 750ml
## Recipe
1. 1. Roast the sesame seeds and grind them in a food processor. Put the ground sesame seeds in a mortar and grind until oil is released.
2. 2. Add water to the ground sesame seeds in 1, put the sesame seeds in a strainer and squeeze out the oil. Transfer the oil to a pot, add Yoshino arrowroot, and stir well with a wooden spoon until dissolved.
3. 3. Cook over medium heat, stirring patiently, for 7 to 8 minutes. When the mixture has reached an appropriate consistency, place it in a damp metal mold, and allow it to cool.
## Provider Information
provider : Guide to "Tastes and Ingredients We Want to Pass On" in the Ito Region, (Ito Regional Agricultural Improvement and Promotion Center, Department for the Promotion of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ito Promotion Bureau, Wakayama Prefecture (now Agriculture and Fisheries Promotion Division, Department for the Promotion of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ito Promotion Bureau, Wakayama Prefecture)
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# Sanma zushi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Sanma zushi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Southern region
## Main Ingredients Used
Pacific saury, rice
## History, Origin, and Related Events
From late October to March, Pacific saury migrate south to the Kumano-nada Sea on the cold current from the Sanriku coast to spawn. Pacific saury can be caught all along the coast of Wakayama Prefecture, but the saury caught in the Kumano-nada Sea in the south is especially suitable for sushi because it has been caught in the tides for a long time and its meat is firm, small, and has a good amount of fat.Sanma-zushi was originally made to preserve rice and fish, and was a feast served at autumn festivals, New Year's, and other gatherings. Especially in mountainous areas where rice cannot be grown, it was a valuable source of nutrition.In some areas, saury is called "saera" or "saira. Sansuma-zushi," or "saira sushi," is also called "saera no teppo" (saera gun) because of its resemblance to the barrel of a gun.Haruo Sato, a writer born in Shingu City, also loved sansma-zushi, and is said to have said, "The best food in my hometown is mehari (mackerel) first and saury second.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It was always prepared at home for autumn festivals, New Year's, ship launching celebrations, and other events. Even today, it is a New Year's tradition. During celebratory occasions, the head is left on and the fish is pressed into a zushi. The way the fish is handled differs between Nishimuro-gun and Higashimuro-gun, with Nishimuro-gun having the belly open and Higashimuro-gun having the back open. There is also "Yaki-Sanma-zushi," which is made on New Year's Eve and grilled at the beginning of the year.
## How to Eat
The saury is opened, gutted, and rinsed with salt, then moistened with vinegar, and placed on top of sushi rice and pressed to form the right shape. The fish is carefully removed down to the small bones, and is served as is without dipping in soy sauce. It can be served with a refreshing taste by using yuzu or dai-dai-dai no shibori-vinegar as a secret ingredient. Some households and restaurants ferment the fish for several months to make nare-zushi.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It is still popular among people of all ages in the southern part of the prefecture, and there are still many long-established shops that make narezushi using the traditional method.
## Ingredients
- saury: 2 pcs.
- rice: 2 cups
- Vinegar: 36ml
- Sushi Vinegar] Sugar: 26g
- Sushi Vinegar] Salt: 9g
- Vinegar for vinegared saury: 3 parts vinegar to 1 part sugar (enough to soak the saury)
- Vinegar for vinegared saury: Squeeze to taste
## Recipe
1. 1. Open the saury belly open so as not to lose the head, remove the entrails and wash the meat under running water.(If it is difficult to do this at home, tell the fishmonger that you want it for Sanma-zushi.)
2. 2. Wipe off the water, sprinkle salt on the fish, and let sit for about 20 minutes.
3. 3. Rinse off the salt and soak the fish in vinegar for about 20 minutes. After lifting from the vinegar, debone the fish and gently peel off the thin skin.
4. 4. Make sushi rice by combining about 10% of sushi vinegar for every gram of cooked rice. Allow to cool to a certain degree.
5. 5. Place a piece of plastic wrap on a maki-noren (bamboo mat) and place the saury skin side down. Grip the rice into a stick shape, place it on top of the saury, and finish by shaping it on the maki-noren.
## Provider Information
provider : Wakayama Chefs Association
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# Onomi no sashimi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Onomi no sashimi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Taiji Town
## Main Ingredients Used
Whale meat
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Whales fed and fattened up in high latitude waters head for low latitude waters after summer to engage in breeding activities, passing through the Kumano-nada Sea in midwinter. This was the target of Kumano's traditional whaling. Wada Yorimoto started organized whaling in 1606 and is regarded as the founder of whaling.In 1675, Yoriharu, Yorimoto's grandson, invented the netting method, which enabled him to catch humpback whales that would sink after death, in addition to right whales and sperm whales that would stay afloat after death. Because this method required the use of many seko-vessels and ami-vessels, it developed into a large-scale fishery involving more than 300 men. Eventually, the netting and poking method was introduced to Tosa and Kyushu, and the lords protected and encouraged whaling, which led to whaling in many parts of Japan.Even after the end of the Edo period and major changes in society, whaling continued to be practiced in Taiji. However, in December 1878, the Taiji whaling team was swept out to sea in pursuit of right whales with calves, and although they succeeded in capturing one on the second morning, it took a long time to return, and in the afternoon the weather broke and the fleet drifted away, with over 100 people missing. The accident, later called "Seminaregawa," put an end to the old-style whaling in Taiji, and modern whaling methods developed in the U.S. and Norway were soon introduced. Whaling continues in Taiji to this day, albeit in a different form.The people of Kumano have consumed whale meat and entrails, as well as bones and skin, without wasting anything. The most expensive meat is the "tail meat," a rare part of the whale, and its marbled meat is tender and sweet.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The meat of the "rokku whale" landed in Taiji was a commodity, and most of it was shipped to the city in barrels, sprinkled with salt. However, it is thought that some of the meat was also distributed to the local people for consumption under various names. The meat of small toothed whales such as Gondoh whale, which is not included in the "six whale" category, must have been distributed locally for private consumption, so to speak, and is still very popular today.
## How to Eat
Tail meat" is also called "oniku. It is the meat at the base of the tail fin, and only a small amount is harvested. It is a finely marbled meat with fine tannins, and is usually sliced into thin slices and eaten as sashimi. Whale meat is classified into various parts, such as back meat, belly meat, and breast meat for red meat, "unesu," "kawasu," and "skin" for fat meat, and "heart," "tongue," "esophagus," "hyakujo (stomach)," and "hyakuhiro (small intestine)" for viscera. Various cooking methods that take advantage of the characteristics of each part have been handed down throughout Japan. Rare marbled meat is subdivided into "tail meat," "aburasunoko," "kanoko," "shiofuki kanoko," etc., according to texture, taste, and amount of fat, and is treated as a luxury item.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
In Taiji Town, historical sites of old-style whaling, such as the remains of "Yamami", which was used to watch for migrating whales, have been preserved, and at the Whale Museum, there are exhibits of whale biology outdoors and whaling biology and historical materials related to whaling indoors. The town also has specialty stores selling whale meat, a supermarket directly operated by a fishery cooperative, and restaurants and lodging facilities serving whale dishes.
## Ingredients
- Whale tail meat: 50-100g
- Ken (radish and carrot): Appropriate amount
- grated ginger: Appropriate amount
- grated ginger: a little to taste
- soy sauce: a little to taste
- sudachi (Japanese citrus fruit): 1／2 piece
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the meat from the tail of the whale into thin slices.
2. 2. Garnish with radish, carrot ken, sudachi and hojiso to taste, and serve with ginger soy sauce, etc.
## Provider Information
provider : Wakayama Culinary Association
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# Kinzanji miso ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kinzanji miso
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Chubu area
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, wheat, soybeans, vegetables such as eggplant, cucumber, ginger, and perilla
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In 1249, Kakushin (Houtou Kokushi), a high priest in Yura, learned how to make Kaizanji miso in Sou (China), where he had trained, and brought it back to Japan. When he built Koukokuji Temple, he introduced the method to Yuasa Town and the surrounding area, where the water quality was suitable for manufacturing miso and soy sauce, and it is said to have spread. It is believed to be the founder of soy sauce and miso. For the next 300 years or so, farmers made soy sauce for their own use, but in the Edo period (1603-1867), it came to the attention of the shogunate and was commercialized.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In the old days, it was grown at home for private use. It is made with three kinds of koji (soybeans, barley, and rice) in the summer, when uri, eggplant, perilla, and ginger are in abundance. Because it can be stored for a long time, it is eaten all year round as "reserve greens. The type of vegetables to be pickled and the seasoning varies from store to store and from household to household, and each has its own special flavor.
## How to Eat
It is eaten as a side dish, not as a condiment, such as on rice, with grilled fish or sashimi, or as a side dish with sake. It also goes well with "chagayu," a local dish of Wakayama.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
From Yuasa Town to Gobo City, Kinzanji Miso is still made using the traditional method and sold as a local specialty.
## Ingredients
- White rice: 4 masu
- barley: 3 masu
- soybeans: 3 masu
- sugar: 3 kg
- salt: 1 sho
- Seed Koji: 1 bag
- Eggplant: 3-4 kg
- White melon: 3～4kg
- Soil ginger: 300-400g
- Shiso (Perilla frutescens): 400g
- white sesame seeds: 1 cup
## Recipe
1. 1. Day before: Wash white rice well and soak in water overnight.Day 1: Wash white wheat well and soak in warm water for about 2 hours.
2. 2. Day 1: Soybeans are soaked in water until hot, then soaked in water with the skin removed (about 30 minutes). (about 30 minutes)
3. 3. Day 1: Steam drained white rice (about 2 hours) and let the rice malt steep.
4. 4. Day 1: Drain the water from the white barley, mix it with the cooked soybeans, and steam (about 1 to 1.5 hours) to let the barley/soybean koji steep.
5. 5. Day 2: Wash vegetables well, cut into 1 cm slices, salt them with salt from a quantity of salt and place a light weight on them.
6. 6. Day 3: Wheat and soybean koji should be made in the morning, and rice koji should be made around noon. Put a pinch or two of salt in a piece of molobuta and leave it in a cool place.
7. 7. Day 3: Drain vegetables thoroughly. Put sesame seeds in a bowl. Cut ginger into thin strips, cut shiso into 1 cm pieces, sprinkle with salt and squeeze lightly.
8. 8. Day 3: Mix all the ingredients well and fill the vat tightly from the bottom. Serve 1 month later.
## Provider Information
provider : "Handmade Flavor Making the Most of Naga's Products" (Naga Agricultural Development and Extension Office (currently Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Promotion Division, Naga Promotion Bureau))
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# Mehari zushi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Mehari zushi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Southern region
## Main Ingredients Used
rice, leaf mustard
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In the southern region of the prefecture, where fishing and forestry are thriving, mehari-zushi became popular as an easy-to-eat lunch between busy fishing and mountain work. It is made by wrapping a large rice ball in salt-pickled takana. There are various theories as to the origin of the name "mehari-zushi" (meaning "eye-opening mouth" or "eye-wateringly delicious"), or "because the rice ball is completely wrapped as if it is eye-opening.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Takana is harvested from winter to early spring. Since takana is easy to grow even in areas with poor sunlight, it was actively cultivated in the mountainous areas of the southern region of the prefecture, where there are few flat areas. In Shingu City, large, tender leaves of takana are harvested. In addition to pickling takana at home, it can also be used as a seasoned or boiled dish, and the core of the pickled takana can be finely chopped and sprinkled over "chagayu" (green tea gruel).
## How to Eat
Harvested takana is pickled in barrels with salt around January or February. The color gradually turns brown, but it will last until autumn. The pickled takana is dipped in vinegar and rolled into a round ball of rice. The rice can be served as it is or as sushi rice, depending on one's preference. In the days when rice was precious, more barley was used in the nigiri than white rice. In the Shimosato area of Nachi-Katsuura Town, whitebait from the river was boiled in sweet and spicy sauce and mixed with rice, which was then wrapped in takana (a type of leaf mustard).
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Nowadays, the mainstay of the rice is made into small, easy-to-eat rice balls, and the ingredients used in the rice are diverse, ranging from the finely chopped and soy sauce seasoned axis and core, to dried bonito flakes, dried plums, and baby sardines. The dish has changed and developed with the times, and is still being passed down to the younger generation. Some products are registered as "Premier Wakayama" products.
## Ingredients
- rice: 2gou
- Pickled Takana (pickled in salt): 5 pieces
- [Seasoning liquid] soy sauce: 1 tbsp.
- [Seasoning liquid] Mirin: 1／2 tsp (seasoning liquid can be adjusted to taste)
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash and thoroughly wring out the pickled takana, sprinkle with seasoning liquid, lightly knead and let the flavors blend for a while.
2. 2. Wash rice and cook normally.
3. 3. Finely chop the leaf stems.
4. 4. Spread the leaves on top of the rice, add 3 leaves into the core, and wrap the leaves around the rice to form a shape.
## Provider Information
provider : "Let's Live, Let's Communicate! Wakayama's Food Ingredients and Food Culture" (Wakayama Prefecture Liaison Council of Lifestyle Research Groups, Wakayama Prefecture)
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# Okaisan/Chagayu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Okaisan/Chagayu
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All over the prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, Bancha (green tea) or Hojicha (roasted green tea)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In Wakayama Prefecture, chagayu is affectionately called "okai-san" or "okayu-san. It was created to fill the stomach even with a small amount of rice because rice was precious in this mountainous prefecture, which is also known as "tree country. Especially in the southern part of the prefecture, where there is little flat land suitable for rice cultivation, it was a daily staple food, eaten five or six times a day. In the past, tea trees were also grown at home, supporting the establishment of the chagayu culture. In a song sung in the Inan area, "Today and today, oika de kenka, watashi no oika ni taro ga nai," which indicates that chagayu with sweet potatoes was so popular that siblings would fight over it.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In the Kumano Mountains and other areas where there is little rice cultivation, oikai-san is ideal for thirsty and hungry people after farming rice, as it is light and smooth to the taste. During busy seasons, a large amount of rice is cooked in a cauldron. Since "okaisan" makes you hungry soon after eating, sweet potatoes and taro were added to the rice to fill up the stomach.
## How to Eat
Boil a quantity of water in a pot, put Bancha in a tea bag, and boil it to a good color. Remove the tea bag, add washed rice, and cook over high heat. Stir with a wooden scoop. When the rice is fluffy, turn off the heat. Add a pinch of salt to taste. Each region and household has its own way of cooking tea and chagayu, and the one with nothing in it is called "bozu-chagayu. In the northern and central regions of the prefecture, "mame-cha-gayu" is made with fava beans and peas, and in the southern region of the prefecture, "mukago-gayu" is sometimes made with the stems of yams in the fall, which are called mukago. Other variations include "yakimochi gayu," which is topped with Nanko-ume pickled plums and Kinzanji miso (soybean paste), "yakimochi gayu" with baked rice cakes, and "dango gayu" with rice flour, wheat flour, or millet flour kneaded into a dango.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Tea packets for chagayu are sold at supermarkets in the prefecture. It is so familiar in daily life that some young people even eat it over cold white rice or chirashi sushi.
## Ingredients
- rice: 1gou
- Bancha green tea: 2 tbsp.
- Water: 6gou
- salt: Pinch (to taste)
## Recipe
1. 1. Boil a quantity of water in a pot, put Bancha in a tea bag, and boil it to a good color.
2. 2. Take out the tea bag, add washed rice, and cook over high heat.
3. 3. Stir with a wooden spoon.
4. 4. Turn off the heat when the rice is fluffy.Add a pinch of salt to taste.
## Provider Information
provider : "Let's Live, Let's Communicate! Wakayama's Food Ingredients and Food Culture" (Wakayama Prefecture Liaison Council of Lifestyle Research Groups, Wakayama Prefecture)
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# Surume no Kojizuke ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Surume no Kojizuke
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All of Tottori Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Japanese common squid, salted vegetables, rice koji(=malted rice)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Tottori Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan, and in winter, the cold air from the north causes a lot of snow to accumulate, making it difficult for people living in mountainous areas to procure food materials during the winter. In Tottori Prefecture, squid, or Japanese common squid, is harvested in autumn (from September to November). To preserve the taste of the harvested squid for a long period of time, and to prepare for the winter season when ingredients are hard to find, "Surume-no koji zuke" (squid marinated in rice koji(=malted rice)) was created. The characteristic of this dish is that it uses squid that has been dried in the sea breeze to reduce its odor and has a moderate saltiness, which gives it a deep flavor.The squid is then chopped and marinated in rice koji(=malted rice), and when aged, the squid is softened and becomes rich in flavor and umami. In the past, miso and soy sauce were also handmade at home, so rice koji(=malted rice) pickles were made in each household with each home having their own distinctive style and taste and is affectionately called,” Mother’s taste.” It is also commonly pickled with salted vegetables, but the vegetables used are varied. Cucumbers, perilla leaves, eggplants, chili peppers, wasabi, bell peppers, etc., became a colorful and popular flavor for each household. Nowadays, vacuum-packing technology has made it possible to preserve them for even longer periods of time, and they are widely eaten throughout Japan as a souvenir of Tottori Prefecture.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Surume-ika (Japanese common squid) is in season from September to November. Surume-ika caught during the season are dried in the sea breeze for a day, chopped and marinated in rice koji(=malted rice), and are ready to eat 10 days to 2 weeks later, when winter arrives. It can be preserved for a long time by freezing and vacuum-packing.
## How to Eat
It is also a perfect accompaniment to hot white rice or ochazuke (rice with green tea) with chopped shiso leaves, or as a side dish for sake. It is also good on crackers with cheese, or on vegetable sticks, and goes well with Western sake. It is also delicious stir-fried with cabbage and tossed with boiled pasta. It has a sweetness unique to rice koji(=malted rice) and can be eaten as is or used as a seasoning.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)It can be purchased at local supermarkets and souvenir stores.
## Ingredients
- Rice koji(=malted rice): about 800g to 1kg
- Japanese common squid (dried overnight): 5 or 6
- [Seasoning A] Soy sauce: 3 cups
- [Seasoning A] Sake: 2 cups
- [Seasoning A] Mirin(=sweet rice wine): 1 cup
- [Seasoning A] Sugar: 100 g
- Salted vegetables (Green Shiso and fruits, eggplant, cucumber, myoga, salt): As needed
## Recipe
1. 1. Tanzaku-cut (rectangular cuts) Japanese common squid into 3mm/3cm (1.2 inch) strips, rinse in cold water and sprinkle with sake.
2. 2. Add rice koji(=malted rice) mold to squid and mix well.
3. 3. Rinse the pickled vegetables in water, take out the salt, and chop them finely.
4. 4. Add seasoning A, which has been cooled after boiling, to 2 and 3, mix well, place in a jar or other container, and cover with a weight.
5. 5. Add sake, mirin(sweet rice wine), soy sauce, etc. to taste, stirring occasionally.
6. 6. The best time for pickling is from October to March (about 20 to 30 days).If it is summer, you can make fragrant malt-pickled rice in about 10 days.
## Provider Information
provider : Tottori Prefecture
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# Igai Meshi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Igai Meshi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Tottori City Aoya-cho
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, peeled Igai mussels
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The Igai mussel has a triangular shape, blackish brown shell, and is found on reefs. It closely resembles mussels, and are also members of the mussel family. They are said to be called "Igai (unusual)” because they differ from clams and other bivalves in shape and soft body patterns.The mussels are found in the intertidal zone along the coast and at depths of up to 20 meters (21 yards), where the tides are clear and the reefs are well-developed. It is gathered around June, when the divers begin their activities, and has become a tradition that heralds the arrival of summer in this small fishing village.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It has been passed down from generation to generation as a Bon Festival dish.
## How to Eat
Remove the meat from the mussel and carefully remove the whiskers as they contain sand and gravel. Cut mussel into appropriate sizes and then boil them. Cook with rice and seasonings. If desired, finely chopped carrots or burdock root may be cooked together. The simple taste will fill your mouth with the aroma of the sea. There is also a way to cook the shellfish in its shell. In addition to "Igai-meshi," Igai mussel can be steamed with sake, grilled over charcoal, or served in soup. Place mussels in cold water and bring to a boil to impart a deeper flavor and better tasting soup.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)It was once sold as an ekiben(lunch boxes that are sold at train stations), but it is no longer sold. Some restaurants also offer it.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 3 cups
- Peeled mussel: 100g
- [Seasoning A] Soy sauce: 30ml
- [Seasoning A] Mirin(sweet rice wine): 30ml
- [Seasoning A] Sake: 60ml
- [Seasoning A] Water that Boiled mussels in and water: 3 cups
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash rice and drain in a colander.
2. 2. Boil mussels. Filter the boiled water with a cheese cloth.
3. 3. Remove the mussels and cut off their beards.
4. 4. Add rice, mussel meat and seasoning A to the rice cooker.
5. 5. One method is to add the boiled mussels just before the rice is cooked.
## Provider Information
provider : Tottori Consumers' Cooperative Union
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# Ita Wakame ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Ita Wakame
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Around the coastal Area of Tottori Prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Wakame(=Seaweed)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Ita-wakame" is a simple product made by arranging freshly harvested wakame seaweed in a flat, board-like shape and drying it. No seasoning is added, relying solely on the natural saltiness and umami of wakame to make it a dish that pairs well with rice. The mountainous areas with abundant forests are home to several clear streams that flow into the Sea of Japan, bringing plenty of nutrients from the forest. The wakame grown with these nutrients has a delightful flavor and is delicious when consumed as is. Additionally, wakame contains various nutrients such as dietary fiber, alginate, and fucoidan. The wakame used for "ita-wakame" is sourced from local fishermen who dive to harvest it.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The season of new shoots, from late March to early April, is considered the most delicious time of the year.
## How to Eat
The harvested wakame, once cut, is carefully washed in water within 4 hours of harvesting. Each piece is spread out, and the arranged wakame is then slowly dried at low temperatures for approximately 24 hours to create the sheet-like dried wakame. To savor the natural flavor of wakame, it's best enjoyed simply. The crispy texture of "ita-wakame" is enhanced by lightly grilling it, and it can be sprinkled over rice for a delicious experience. Alternatively, you can rehydrate it with water and add it to miso soup or ramen.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)In the past, it was a gift presented to Emperor Showa and was appreciated by him. Currently, it is a specialty product of the San'in region and is not widely available nationwide. However, it can be purchased through the internet or antenna shops.
## Ingredients
- Wakame(=Seaweed): As needed
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the harvested Wakame(=Seaweed) thoroughly with water within 4 hours after harvesting, taking extra care not to lose the flavor of the wakame.
2. 2. Place the washed Wakame(=Seaweed) on a sieve-like board, spreading each leaf while arranging them. Let the arranged wakame dry slowly for about 24 hours at a low temperature to create dried wakame in a sheet form.
## Provider Information
provider : Non Profit Organization "Raibu(live-yodoe)"
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# Iwashi Dango (Sardine Ball) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Iwashi Dango (Sardine Ball)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Central Area, Yumigahama peninsula
## Main Ingredients Used
Sardines, Gobou(=Burdock), Ki no me( a leaf of the Japanese pepper tree)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The coastline of Tottori Prefecture is approximately 130 km long, with much of it consisting of sandy beaches. During the Edo and Meiji periods, coastal areas like the Yumigahama Peninsula were characterized by beach seining and hand-net fishing, with species like Japanese anchovy being caught. "Iwashi Dango" is a traditional local dish made with fresh anchovies. The anchovies are finely chopped with a knife, mixed with eggs and other ingredients, and cooked in a broth. Unlike some other dango recipes, there's no need for added starch or binding agents, resulting in a soft and fluffy texture. Different varieties of anchovies, such as Ma-iwashi and Urume, contribute unique flavors to the dumplings, making it an interesting and flavorful dish.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In Tottori's local fishing ports, the period from April to May marks the peak season for anchovy fishing. During spring, anchovy dumplings with chopped wild vegetables, particularly fresh sprouts, become exceptionally delicious.
## How to Eat
This dish involves pounding anchovies and adding various ingredients before simmering. The ingredients added can include thinly sliced gobou(=Burdock), minced wild vegetables, ginger, and Japanese pepper, enhancing the flavor. In the Yumigahama Peninsula, carbonation is sometimes added at the end to reduce any fishy or astringent taste. Additionally, the mixture can be enjoyed as a type of meatball soup.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)It is served in school lunches within the prefecture and is also available for purchase at the deli section of supermarkets.
## Ingredients
- Iwashi (sardines): 900g (net weight: 500g)
- Miso: 10g
- Eggs: 1 medium (50g)
- Sakekasu (=sake lees): 20g
- Gobou(=Burdock): 40g
- Leaves of sansho (Japanese pepper tree), ginger, and yuzu peel: as needed
- [Seasoning A (Soup)] Sake: 30g
- [Seasoning A (Soup)] Dashi (Japanese soup stock): 600ml
- [Seasoning A (Soup)] Soy sauce: 20g
- [Seasoning A (Soup)] Mirin(Sweet rice wine): 20g
## Recipe
1. 1. Clean and prepare the Iwashi by removing the head and internal organs. Cut into chunks and finely chop with a knife. (A food processor can also be used.)
2. 2. In a suribachi (=Japanese mortar), combine the chopped Iwashi, miso, beaten egg, and sakekasu (=sake lees). Mix well.
3. 3. Soak the Gobou(=Burdock) in water to remove bitterness.
4. 4. Add the prepared gobo to the mixture from step 2, mix, and divide into 8 portions.
5. 5. In a pot, combine the ingredients for the soup [seasoning A] and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the shaped portions from step 4 and cook until done.
6. 6. Serve in bowls, and top with seasonal garnishes such as sansho leaves, ginger, or yuzu peel.
## Provider Information
provider : Tottori Prefecture Nutritionist Association
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# Akagarei no komaburi (flathead flounder topped with roe) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Akagarei no komaburi (flathead flounder topped with roe)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Around Ajiro, Iwami Town
## Main Ingredients Used
Flathead flounder
## History, Origin, and Related Events
“Akagarei no komaburi” is a type of sashimi made from flathead flounder, which is topped with the fish's roe. This dish is a popular accompaniment to sake and rice, as the rich and flavorful roe perfectly complements the light and tender white meat. It is believed to have originated from the crucian carp dish that was also served with roe. The fishing season for flathead flounder runs from September to May. Winter is considered the peak season, as the fish is at its fattiest during this time. The fish's name, which translates to "red patterned flatfish," comes from the red patterns on its belly, which is an indicator of its deliciousness. The fresher the fish is, the clearer these patterns are visible. The meat of the flathead flounder is white, tender, and plump, without being too soft or mushy. Female fish that have already spawned are more expensive, but are also more flavorful due to their higher fat content. In Tottori Prefecture, they are often served boiled. Flathead flounder is rich in vitamins B1, B2, and D, as well as collagen. It is also a great source of protein, while being low in fat and calories.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
This dish is typically consumed during festive events like festivals and New Year's celebrations. It's served fresh and can be enjoyed as sashimi. The unique combination of the freshness of sashimi and the winter season when the eggs are in their hatch, makes it a special delicacy.
## How to Eat
To make flathead flounder sashimi, first cut the fish into five slices. Remove the roe and boil it with vinegar. Afterward, squeeze out the water and remove the thin skin. Once the eggs have cooled, mix them with the sashimi. To coat the eggs with sashimi, fry them to remove any excess water. Serve the sashimi with soy sauce and wasabi (if desired), just like you would with any other sashimi.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The Ajiro Fishing Port sells a type of flathead flounder known as "Ajiro flounder". In order to be sold under this brand name, the flounder must be caught between November and February, be at least 30 cm long, caught within 24 hours prior to landing at the market, and be in good condition to hold eggs. This fish is available for purchase at roadside stations and supermarkets, and can also be enjoyed at local restaurants and inns.
## Ingredients
- Flathead flounder (female with eggs): 1 large piece
- Vinegar: A little
- Wasabi: Appropriate quantity
- Soy sauce: Appropriate quantity
## Recipe
1. 1. Remove the scales and entrails from the flathead flounder and rinse it in cold water.
2. 2. Cut the flounder into five pieces by slicing along the backbone in the center of the fish. You can remove the meat by laying the knife down through the cut. Repeat on the other side.
3. 3. Cut the fish into small pieces and store them in the refrigerator.
4. 4. In a pot of boiling water, add the flounder roe in bunches and some vinegar. Boil for approximately 8 minutes.
5. 5. Remove the eggs from the pot and wrap them in a cloth, squeezing out any excess water. Alternatively, you can fry the boiled eggs to dry them out.
6. 6. After cooling, mix the eggs with the sashimi. Serve with wasabi and soy sauce.
## Provider Information
provider : Shoku-no-Miyako Tottori Prefecture
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# Oyagani no misoshiru (Miso soup with snow crab) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Oyagani no misoshiru (Miso soup with snow crab)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Tottori city
## Main Ingredients Used
Crab (female snow crab), daikon (Japanese radish)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Miso soup with snow crab is a simple yet delicious soup that is made using female snow crab and daikon radish. It is a very popular dish in Tottori Prefecture, especially during winter when many snow crabs are caught in the region. The female snow crab is called "Oyagani" as it carries eggs that will produce offspring, while the male snow crab is known as "Matsuba Gani". In some areas, the female crab is referred to as "Seko Gani" or "Seiko Gani" because of the orange roe inside the shell, which gives the impression that it is carrying offspring.Oyagani crabs are smaller than Matsuba crabs, but they are relatively inexpensive and can be easily purchased at supermarkets in Tottori Prefecture during the season. Miso soup made with oyagani crabs is a staple dish in every household in the region. These crabs have an inner shell (uchiko) and an outer shell (sotoko), which contains a concentrated flavor, including crab miso. To bring out the best flavor, it is recommended to use only a small amount of ingredients while preparing the soup.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Miso soup made with female snow crab is a seasonal delicacy that is only available from November to December, for a short period of time. Because of its limited availability, it is highly valued as a local staple dish and is widely enjoyed in households throughout the prefecture, offering a taste of the winter season.
## How to Eat
Cut the female snow crab in half and boil it in water until it is cooked through. Then, add daikon radish and simmer over low heat. To make the best use of the umami of the crab, avoid adding too many ingredients in the miso soup. After turning off the heat, stir in the miso. Boiling the crab in water allows the soup stock from the crab to soak into the daikon radish, making it very tasty.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Even today, many people make it at home during the winter and pass down the recipe from generation to generation. This dish is also commonly served as a school lunch and is especially popular among young people. In addition, it is often featured at various events held in the prefecture between November and December, when female snow crabs are caught.
## Ingredients
- Oyagani (female snow crab): 2 cups
- Daikon radish: 1／2
- Miso: Appropriate quantity
- Water: 1500ml
- Green onion: As much as you like
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut radish into strips. Split the crab in half from the belly.
2. 2. Boil the crab in water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. 3. Add the daikon strips.
4. 4. Season with miso paste.
5. 5. If desired, add green onion.
## Provider Information
provider : Tottori Prefecture
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# Tochimochi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Tochimochi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Yazu, Kawahara (Tottori City), Misasa
## Main Ingredients Used
Glutinous rice, Japanese horse chestnut
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The Japanese horse chestnuts (“tochi”) used for “tochimochi” are so bitter that their intense taste causes a painful tingling sensation on the tongue when consumed raw. Thankfully, the wisdom and experience of our ancestors led to the invention of delicious ways to enjoy these chestnuts, and they are said to have been eaten since the Jomon era. The chestnuts were a valuable source of food in the past, since rice was scared in mountain villages.Each chestnut contains one or two nuts inside its thick shell. They ripen to a dark red-brown color in the fall, growing to about 3 to 4cm in size. Japanese horse chestnuts are round just like regular chestnuts and are typically harvested from October to November. They are rich in potassium, copper, manganese, saponin, and tannin.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In typical households in the region, “tochimochi” is made and consumed as a type of rice cake for “zoni,” a traditional soup eaten during the New Year.
## How to Eat
The chestnuts first undergo a lengthy process to remove their bitterness. They are then steamed with glutinous rice, and finally molded into rice cakes to be consumed. These rice cakes are less sticky compared to those made with only glutinous rice and have a unique rustic flavor with a hint of bitterness and astringency. They can be eaten as “oshiruko” by adding them to azuki soup.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Eating horse chestnuts after removing their bitterness is a practice unique to Japan and requires highly specialized techniques and takes more than two weeks to complete. Due to the labor-intensive nature of this process, it has become less common for households to prepare “tochimochi” themselves. Instead, people often purchase horse chestnuts that have already had their bitterness removed and use them to make “tochimochi” for “zoni,” especially during the New Year. Additionally, you can find horse chestnut-based sweets with fillings like sweet bean paste sold as Tottori souvenirs in traditional Japanese confectionary shops.
## Ingredients
- Glutinous rice: 1~1.5sho (1800~2700cc)
- Japanese horse chestnuts: 500g
- [Chestnut preparation] Japanese horse chestnuts: 1sho (1800cc)
- [Chestnut preparation] Wood ashes (hardwood such as evergreen oak or sawtooth oak): 1~2sho (1800~3600cc)
## Recipe
1. 1. [Chestnut preparation (preparation for peeling) ]Put the chestnuts in a bucket, pour plenty of hot water over them, and let them sit for about 3 days to allow the chestnuts to swell.
2. 2. [Chestnut preparation (peeling) ]Boil water in a pot and add the chestnuts to keep them warm. Peel the skin using traditional tools like the two-board "tochimuki”.
3. 3. [Chestnut preparation (river rinsing) ]Put the chestnuts in a mesh bag and let them soak in flowing river water for 5 to 6 days.
4. 4. [Chestnut preparation (bitterness removal) ]Place the chestnuts in a bucket, pour hot water over them, mix well, and then drain the water. Then add the wood ashes at a ratio of 1 to 2 sho (1800 to 3600cc) of ashes per 1 sho (1800cc) of chestnuts, pour hot water over them, and mix. Cover the bucket with nylon and let sit for 2 days, insulating it with an old blanket or similar material. During this time, mix well with a stick every hour for the first 3 to 4 hours.
5. 5. [Chestnut preparation (checking for readiness) ]Bite into a chestnut; if it pricks your tongue like a thorn, it's ready. Take about 3 chestnuts, steam, boil, or roast them, and try crushing them with your fingers. If the core is hard and doesn't crush, they are not ready. Use a small amount to make a small dumpling to check the taste and color. For instance, if they are not ready, the color will be pale.
6. 6. [Chestnut preparation (if chestnuts are not ready) ]If the chestnuts are not ready, wash out the ashes from the bucket, add ashes again, and pour hot water over them, repeating the [Chestnut preparation (bitterness removal) ] process.
7. 7. Rinse the glutinous rice and soak in water for 8 to 24 hours, adjusting the soaking time based on the temperature (shorter in hot weather, longer in cold weather).
8. 8. About 1 hour before steaming, drain the soaked rice using a colander.
9. 9. When steaming the rice and prepared chestnuts, place the chestnuts on top from the start. If using frozen chestnuts, thaw them naturally beforehand.
10. 10. Steam for approximately 30 minutes once the steam starts rising.
11. 11. Pound the steamed chestnuts and rice until the rice grains are gone, and the mixture becomes smooth and sticky.
12. 12. As a rough guideline, when using 1.5sho (2700cc) of rice, you should get around 55 dumplings, each weighing about 50g.
## Provider Information
provider : Yazu Life Improvement Implementation Group Liaison Council
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# Komo-dofu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Komo-dofu
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Kurayoshi City vicinity
## Main Ingredients Used
Tofu, carrots, burdock root
## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Komo-dofu" is a simple tofu dish wrapped in a "komo," a roughly woven straw mat. "Komo-dofu," which has been passed down for over 100 years, is one of the traditional foods of the central area which includes Kurayoshi City, and is an indispensable dish for special days such as important family ceremonies, festivals and Buddhist rites. Tofu is commonly eaten in Tottori Prefecture, where fish is hard to obtain, and it served as a precious source of protein for the masses. In the past it is said that villages had communal tofu sheds, and since they were able to make lots of tofu, "komo-dofu" came about as a way to enjoy that tofu, as one theory goes. However, supermarkets appeared in the 1950s, which gradually changed the lifestyles and meals of the people. It became a period when anything could be easily obtainable, so it is said that "komo-dofu" was made less frequently as a result. The straw used to make "komo-dofu" has also become less obtainable in recent years. The straw, hung out to dry on fine days, is used often to make "komo-dofu."
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Until 1955, it was a dish that was made without fail for special days when people would gather, such as weddings and festivals for local deities. Nowadays it is less common for people to make it at home, but it is apparently common as a soup ingredient for events and when entertaining guests.
## How to Eat
It can be boiled to deepen the flavor of the seasoning which includes sugar and soy sauce, or cut into round slices and eaten with wasabi soy sauce. Carrots and burdock root are staple ingredients that go in the tofu, but it can also be made by putting in eggs, dried gourd strips, spinach, and seasonal vegetables. By wrapping the tofu in straw, the fragrance of the straw transfers to the tofu and makes it taste better; when made, it has a unique shape formed from each individual straw that sticks to the tofu. Right after it's finished boiling, the pleasant aroma of the straw drifts about, which, along with the markings left by the straw on the tofu pieces, gives off a certain warmth.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It has reemerged in schools in the prefecture, where it is made in cooking classes. In some schools in Kurayoshi City, classes are taught on the passing down of local foods such as "komo-dofu" as part of a comprehensive education.
## Ingredients
- Tofu: 1 block
- Carrots: Suitable amount
- Burdock root: Suitable amount
- Dashi broth: 1 cup
- [Seasoning A] Sugar: 1 tsp
- [Seasoning A] Light soy sauce: 1 Tbsp
- Straw: One handful
- Nylon strings (or straw): A few
## Recipe
1. 1. Julienne the carrots and burdock root. Use extra dashi broth, sugar, and light soy sauce to stew and lightly flavor them.
2. 2. Cut the tofu into four and drain the water.
3. 3. Clean the straw, removing any parts aside from the main stalk. Cut the straw to around 35cm in length. Gather it by one end and spread out the straw; line up the four cut pieces of tofu into two columns inside.
4. 4. Sandwich the carrots and burdock root in 1 in between the tofu.
5. 5. Line up the straw, bundle one end, intertwine all of the straw with nylon strings or straw, and tightly fasten.
6. 6. Steam for about 15min.
7. 7. Carefully remove the straw from the steamed tofu, add dashi broth and Seasoning A to a pot, and stew to deepen the flavor.You can also cut it diagonally, transfer it to a bowl, and enjoy with wasabi soy sauce, etc.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: Tottori Prefecture
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# Imobota ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Imobota
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Yumihama Peninsula
## Main Ingredients Used
Sweet potato, glutinous rice, red bean paste
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Imabota, a recipe passed down from olden times on the Yumihama Peninsula, is a sweet rice ball made from sweet potatoes. Due to its soft, sandy solid, the Yumihama Peninsula was unsuitable for growing rice. During the Edo period, Ido Heizaemon, the Omori governor of the Iwami Silver Mine, ordered sweet potato seeds suitable for the soil from Satsuma Province to Sanin. Afterwards, the cultivation of sweet potatoes flourished. After the 20th year of the Meiji Era, sweet potatoes were grown as the primary crop. Sweet potatoes were substituted in place of rarely grown glutinous rice, and a unique sweet rice ball culture was created.While at first the imobota looks like any other sweet rice ball, you can see the slight yellow in the cracks of the bean paste, and once eaten the sweetness of the potatoes spreads out from the rice, something unique to sweet rice balls.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
“Imobota” was often eaten daily as a snack or meal. While the number of households making imobata today has decreased dramatically, in the past imobata was often made and distributed to neighbors during the sweet potato harvests from fall to winter. The ratio of sweet potatoes to sticky rice differs between cooks, so each household will enjoy a variety of different textures and sweetness.
## How to Eat
Cut the sweet potatoes and spread them in the rice cooker. Once the rice is cooked, add sugar and salt while it is still hot and mash using a pestle. Leftover cakes and sweet potatoes from New Year’s can also be used. Today, there is also the colorful “three-colored imobota,” which can be topped and colored with your favorite ingredients like soybean flower, seaweed, and red bean paste.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The available area to plant sweet potatoes in Tottori, as well as the total yield, have both decreased due to dietary habits and the passage of time, but in recent years sweet potatoes have been understood to be a healthy food, and the people of Yurihama have developed new dishes and various processed products in a more modern style. The sweet potatoes from the area are also referred to as “hamakansho,” and are eaten both at home and in school lunches, and are served to children at after school clubs in Yonago City.
## Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: 600g
- Sticky rice: 200g
- Water: 200ml
- Sugar: 50g
- Salt: A pinch
- Roasted soybean flower: As needed
- Green seaweed: As needed
- Red bean paste: As needed
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the sweet potatoes into 5mm thick slices and soak in water.
2. 2. Wash the sticky rice, allow it to soak in water for 30 minutes, then drain.
3. 3. Place the sweet potatoes in a rice cooker, spread the rice over top, then add water and cook.
4. 4. After cooking the rice, allow it to steam for 10 minutes and add sugar and salt while still hot. Crush it with a pestle, and divide the result into 15-18 pieces.
5. 5. Top with your favorite ingredients, such as soybean flour, seaweed, and red bean paste.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe Provider: Tottori Dietetic Association
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# Pickled Shallots ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Pickled Shallots
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Fukube Town in Tottori City, Hokuei Town
## Main Ingredients Used
Shallots
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Shallot cultivation in Tottori Prefecture is old, dating back to the Edo period. It’s said shallots were brought back by Koishikawa Yakuen during one of his official stays in Edo as a daimyo. The shallot has a robust vitality and can grow even in sand dunes, so at the time it was cultivated by a small number of farmers for their own use. An industrial union was established in the early Taisho period, and full-scale production began in earnest when sprinkler irrigation was introduced. It was around 1965 when the processing of salting and seasoning began. The increase in production area led to a significant increase in shipment volume, but the market price for it plummeted. Taking this as an opportunity, the agricultural cooperative started a processing business, and by incorporating it as a processing ingredient, they figured out how to adjust shipments and stabilize prices.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
They’re harvested from late May to mid-June. They are salted and seasoned and sold as souvenirs of the Tottori Sand Dunes, so they can be eaten all year round.
## How to Eat
There are two ways to pickle shallots: “honzuke” and “easy pickling.” In honzuke, the shallots are washed and pickled in salt for at least two weeks, then desalinated and pickled again. By pickling in salt, the shallots undergo lactic acid fermentation and become delicious pickled shallots, but adjusting the salt removal is difficult and time-consuming. “Easy pickling” is a pickling method that saves the trouble of pickling in salt and does not require desalination, so you can easily pickle it whenever you want. However, it does require refrigeration. The most popular way to pickle shallots is “sweet vinegar pickling,” but in the local area there are various methods of pickling, including: “Salt pickling,” “red wine pickling,” “perilla pickling,” “apple vinegar pickling,” “black sugar pickling,” and “black vinegar pickling.”
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
“Washed shallots” and “rooted shallots” are sold during the harvest season, and processed shallots are sold all year round. In 2006, the Tottori Inaba Agricultural Cooperative (which is within the jurisdiction of Fukube Town) registered a trademark and promoted branding. In 2015, “Tottori Sand Dunes/Fukube Sand Dunes Shallots” were registered under the GI System (Protected Geographical Indication System).
## Ingredients
- Shallots: 4kg
- Salt: 1.2kg
- Shallot vinegar: 1.8L
- Rock sugar: 1kg
- Red chili peppers: 8 small
## Recipe
1. 1. Pickle shallots in salt and leave for 10 days to 2 weeks.(If you don't want to eat them right away, save it like this.)
2. 2. Remove the salt under running water. (Bite them and they should be a little salty.)
3. 3. Prepare boiling water.
4. 4. Spread the shallots on a strainer and sprinkle with boiling water, then cool.
5. 5. Put the shallots in a container sterilized with boiling water, add the rock sugar, shallot vinegar, and red chili peppers with the seeds removed. Seal the container and store in a cool, dark place.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by: Tottori Prefecture
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# Dondoroke-meshi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Dondoroke-meshi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Eastern and central areas
## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, shiitake, tofu, konjac noodles, burdock root, carrots, fried tofu triangles
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Rice cooked with tofu and locally grown vegetables is called "dondoroke-meshi" in the eastern to central areas of Tottori Prefecture. "Dondoroke" means "thunder" in the regional dialect. The name comes from the fact that the powerful, repeated sounds tofu makes when added to a hot pan with oil in it resembles thunder.In the past, tofu was a delicacy and a precious source of protein. It is said that village had its own tofu cabin, where a number of people gathered and made tofu from home-grown soybeans. This is a traditional food with all sorts of locally grown ingredients, which uses seasonal vegetables that can be picked at the time including carrots, burdock root, and green onions, dried shiitake or fried tofu slices which bring out the flavors of the takikomi gohan (rice cooked with ingredients). In the past, it was vegetable-only, but chicken meat began to be included in the Showa period, when people started raising chickens. Originally it was a takikomi-gohan, but from the mid-Showa period on when rice cookers became popularized, it has gradually become a maze-gohan (rice that is cooked and then mixed with ingredients).
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is said that it was made without fail after the rice-planting season or during pauses in farm work when villagers would gather. It was eaten during cold periods when it was easy to get injured.
## How to Eat
First, saute the tofu; next add the vegetables and fried tofu, and saute. Add this to the rice cooker along with rice and dashi broth, and let cook. Adding chicken or konjac is another tasty option. Lightly and simply seasoned, it will make you want to eat more of it.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Nowadays it has become rare for people to gather in villages and make "dondoroke-meshi," there's a group active in Ketakacho in Tottori City that wishes to propagate this dish. In "Inaba's Jige Lunchboxes" ("jige" means "local"), collected at the "2009 Tottori/Inaba Festival," which introduces Inaba's unique culture and features to the entire nation, this group won a prize for their entry, a dondoroke lunchbox containing dondoroke-meshi. There are also new developments linked to the revitalization of the area, such as dondoroke-meshi appearing in school lunches, and shops serving "dondoroke foods" which are variations on dondoroke-meshi.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 400g
- Tofu: 400g
- Dried shiitake mushroom: 4 pieces
- konnyaku thread: 50g
- burdock root: 50g
- carrot: 50g
- Large triangular deep-fried tofu: 100g
- Oil: 20g
- Sake: 30g
- Light soy sauce: 40g
- Dashi broth (soup stock from dried shiitake mushrooms): 400ml
- Green onion: 50g (cut into small pieces)
## Recipe
1. 1. Drain off the water from the tofu.
2. 2. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water and cut into thin strips.
3. 3. Boil konnyaku quickly and cut into chunks.
4. 4. Cut burdock root into small pieces and drain off the scum.
5. 5. Cut carrots into thin strips and fried tofu into 2 cm long strips.
6. 6. Heat oil in a pan and fry tofu until golden brown. Add gobo (burdock root), shiitake mushrooms, carrots, konnyaku threads, and deep-fried tofu, and saute briefly, then add sake and soy sauce.
7. 7. Mix rice and all of 6 ingredients in a rice cooker, add soup stock and cook.
8. 8. Mix the cooked rice with green onions and serve.
## Provider Information
provider : Tottori Dietetic Association
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# Kakinoha zushi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kakinoha zushi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Chigashira Town
## Main Ingredients Used
rice, salted trout, persimmon leaves
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Kakinoha Sushi" is a local dish that has been handed down in Chigashira Town, Tottori Prefecture since ancient times, and is loved by the townspeople as a dish for entertaining at Bon festivals and Bon holidays. In Chigashira Town, which is far from the sea, "Kakinoha Sushi" was devised as a way to eat fish without allowing it to spoil. The tannin contained in persimmon leaves has antiseptic properties, preventing salt trout from being damaged. In the old days, farmers always had a persimmon tree or two in their yards. We can glimpse the wisdom of our ancestors who knew that its leaves had various effects.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is said that in the olden days, it was prepared in every household as a meal for festivals, New Year's, hospitality for guests, and other occasions of Hare (festive) occasions. It becomes even more colorful when served on leaves that have turned red and yellow during the season of autumn. It is a taste of autumn and a different way to enjoy "Kakinoha Sushi".
## How to Eat
The preparation is quite simple. Thinly sliced salted trout is soaked in vinegar water to soak up the flavor. The rice is then placed on a persimmon leaf, and the salt trout is topped with sansho nuts. The pink color of the salted trout contrasts with the green of the persimmon leaves, creating a colorful contrast. The moment you put it in your mouth, the aroma of the sansho (Japanese pepper) on top of the salted trout fills your mouth with the flavor of vinegar, enhancing the deliciousness of the salted trout. The small sansho peppercorns add an accent to the flavor and stimulate the appetite.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The "Nagi Local Products Development Study Group" was established to prevent this local dish from becoming obsolete, as it is rarely made at home. The group, which was established in 1987, was formed by residents of the Nagi area, mainly farmers, and began activities in order to encourage more people to eat it. The group also holds cooking classes and teaches recipes to elementary school students. The restaurant was selected as one of the "100 Tottori Delicacies Selected by Residents of Tottori Prefecture.
## Ingredients
- rice: 1 sho
- Water: 1.1 times the amount of rice
- Sake: 100 ml
- Kelp: 20cm
- Salted trout: 1 fish
- Persimmon leaves: 90 to 100 leaves
- [Seasoning A (combined vinegar)] Sugar: 200g
- [Seasoning A (combined vinegar)] Vinegar: 250cc
- [Seasoning A (combined vinegar)] Salt: 2 tbsp.
- [Seasoning B (trout soaking liquid)] Vinegar: 1／2 cup
- [Seasoning B (trout soaking liquid)] sugar: 2 tbsp.
- [Seasoning B (trout soaking liquid)] salt: a pinch
- Leaves of sansho (Japanese pepper): 90-100 leaves (or 90-100 prickly pearls)
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash persimmon leaves well and pat dry. For sansho leaves, select young shoots as much as possible.
2. 2. Prepare rice 30 minutes before cooking, and add water, kelp, and sake.
3. 3. Rinse the salt trout, cut into 3 pieces, and freeze. Remove the thin skin while still frozen, and quickly wash in thin salted water.
4. 4. Slice each piece diagonally into 40 to 50 slices, and soak in Seasoning B for 1 or 2 minutes.
5. 5. Make seasoning A at the same time as the rice is cooked, and mix it quickly with the cooked rice.
6. 6. Grab the rice, top with trout and sansho leaves (or fruits), wrap in persimmon leaves, and pack tightly into a hitsu or sushi tub. Cover with persimmon leaves, cover with a lid, and place a weight about twice as heavy as the sushi.
7. 7. Soak for half a day or overnight to allow the persimmon leaves and sansho leaves (or berries) to blend well with the sushi rice.
## Provider Information
provider : Tottori Prefecture
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# Daisen okowa ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Daisen okowa
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Western region
## Main Ingredients Used
glutinous rice, yaki-chikuwa, chicken, carrots, burdock root, dried shiitake mushrooms
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Daisen Okowa" is a local dish of the western area, made with ingredients from the foot of Mt. It is said to have originated in the old days when monks and soldiers would cook rice with mountain birds and grasses to pray for victory when going to battlefields, and has since been passed down through generations as a feast for festivals and celebrations. In the Meiji period (1868-1912), it was served at the spring and fall cow and horse fairs held at Bakuroza in Daisenji Temple, and was also a popular lunch for people making pilgrimages to Mt. It is said that the name "Daisen Okowa" came from the name of a place at the foot of Mt. Daisen, a national park, after the Meiji period (1868-1912), and that it used to be called "Aseri Okowa," perhaps derived from the name of the former Aseri County.In 1986, "Daisen Okowa" was selected as one of the rice balls by the Food Agency (Hometown Rice Ball Selection Committee).
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Every year, at the annual festivals of the local deity and other festivals, households would make this home-style dish and bring it as a souvenir to guests. It is believed that the original Daisenji okowa, a vegetarian dish served to those who trained in Daisen, spread to households and became Daisen okowa.
## How to Eat
Glutinous rice is mixed with shiitake mushrooms, burdock root, chestnuts, konnyaku, fried tofu, etc., seasoned with broth, soy sauce, sugar, etc., and cooked. Ingredients used vary from household to household, and there seems to be no set formula, but in some areas, wild vegetables and chikuwa are added.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The dish has become a local specialty and is sold as an ekiben (boxed meal) at JR Yonago Station.
## Ingredients
- Glutinous Rice: 1kg
- Baked Chikuwa: 100g
- chicken meat: 300g
- bamboo shoots: 150g
- Carrot: 150g
- Dried shiitake mushroom: 6 large pieces
- konnyaku: 200g
- burdock root: 100g
- Sugar flavored string beans: 100g
- [Seasoning A (broth)] Sugar: 60g
- [Seasoning A (broth)] Soy sauce:
- [Seasoning A (broth)] Sake: 100g
- [Seasoning A (broth)] Dashi broth (water from rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms): 1000ml
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash glutinous rice, soak overnight in water, and drain in a colander.
2. 2. Cut burdock root into small pieces and drain in water to remove the scum.
3. 3. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water and cut into thin strips. Cut grilled chikuwa into quarters and cut into thin strips.
4. 4. Boil string beans until colorful and slice diagonally.
5. 5. Add 2 and 3 to seasoning A and simmer.
6. 6. Combine the ingredients and glutinous rice and steam in a steamer for about 20 minutes, then pour the cooking liquid into the steamer two or three times and steam evenly until softened, about 40 to 50 minutes in all.
7. 7. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with the green beans from 4.
8. 8. Use seasonal ingredients such as chestnuts, mukago, ginkgo nuts, etc. Peanuts and edamame may also be added.
## Provider Information
provider : Tottori Dietetic Association
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# Azuki zoni ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Azuki zoni
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Eastern region, Central region
## Main Ingredients Used
Round rice cake, azuki beans
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Zoni is a local delicacy with a rich regional flavor, and many different types of zoni are eaten throughout the country. Some are filled with plenty of broth, others with red beans and a little broth, some are sweetened with sugar, and a few are salty. In the past, azuki soup was boiled with a little salt, but nowadays it is generally boiled with sugar from the beginning. However, it is not the case that azuki zoni is eaten throughout the prefecture; in the mountainous areas, it is often flavored with soy sauce or miso.The exact origin of "azuki zoni" is not known, but since ancient times, the red color of azuki beans was believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits, and so it has been used as an ingredient for special occasions. Zoni is made by getting up early in the morning on New Year's Day, drawing the first young water of the year, and boiling it in a single pot over a purified fire. Zoni is considered to be a sacred food that gives vitality to human beings, and it is said to have taken root as the mainstay of New Year's celebrations as a food to unite the family and relatives by sharing it with others.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is eaten with osechi on the morning of New Year's Day. The saltiness of osechi and the sweetness of azuki zoni are exquisite. Azuki has long been one of the ingredients that appear at festive occasions as sekihan (red rice) and mochi no azuki (rice cakes), and at other milestones in life. Zoni is made with azuki because of its nutritional value, and is eaten to celebrate the New Year.
## How to Eat
Zoni is similar to what is called "zenzai" or "shiruko" in other regions. After azuki beans are drained, they are boiled until soft and seasoned with sugar. Round rice cakes boiled in a separate pot are added to the azuki soup. The seasoning varies slightly from household to household and region to region, but in most regions, soft-boiled round rice cakes are used for the mochi. In Misasa Town in the central region, rice cakes made from "tochinomimi" (a type of Japanese nut) harvested in the mountains are used.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Volunteers have gathered to promote "Tochimochi Zoni" in order to enliven the community, revitalize the area, and pass on the culture.
## Ingredients
- round cake of rice cake with red bean jam filling: 4 pieces
- azuki beans: 1／2 cup
- sugar: 60g
- salt: a pinch
## Recipe
1. 1. Put azuki beans in plenty of water and bring to a boil, then discard the water and drain off the azuki beans. Repeat about 2 times. Then add 2 cups of water and boil until soft.
2. 2. Add sugar and simmer for 7 or 8 minutes to blend the flavors. A little salt may be added to taste.
3. 3. Boil azuki mochi in a separate pot, and when softened, add them to the azuki bean soup in step 2.
## Provider Information
provider : Shoku-no-Miyako Tottori Prefecture
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# Itadaki ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Itadaki
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Western region, Yumigahama Peninsula
## Main Ingredients Used
rice, triangular fried tofu, burdock root, carrot, dried shiitake mushroom
## History, Origin, and Related Events
This is a traditional local dish made by stuffing raw rice and vegetables inside a large piece of deep-fried tofu and cooking it slowly in broth.According to legend, around the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912), the priest of a temple in Sakaiminato City visited a temple in Fukui Prefecture and was so pleased with the fried tofu that he brought it back to his temple and cooked it with rice and vegetables. There are various theories as to the origin of the name Itadare (meaning "to receive" in Japanese). The other theory is that the name "Itadaki" came to be used because of its resemblance to the summit of Mt. It is also said that fishermen and farmers brought this dish for lunch. It is also called "Nonoko-meshi" (Nonoko rice), which is said to have come from the name "Nunoko," which was derived from its fluffy appearance like a cotton-filled kimono.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In the olden days, it was made by each household and served to neighbors on special occasions. Since rice was very precious in those days, it is said that many ingredients were added to the dish to fill the stomach with a small amount of rice. The ingredients, seasoning, and method of preparation differed slightly from household to household, and the dish took root in the region as "mother's taste" passed down from parents to children.
## How to Eat
Although it looks like a large inarizushi, the cooking method and taste are completely different. It is a typical San-in region country-style meal made by stuffing raw rice and vegetables inside a large fried tofu and cooking it slowly in dashi broth.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the people who have passed it on, preservation groups, use of SNS, modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)Originally a local dish, it is now being sold in supermarkets and on menus at izakaya (Japanese-style pubs) and other restaurants, thanks to the efforts of citizen groups. In 2001 (2011), in an effort to spread the appeal of the local dish "Itadaki" throughout Japan, the citizens' group has been vigorously working to expand the number of stores selling it and to promote it through participation in events, etc.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 300g
- Large triangular deep-fried tofu: 6 pieces
- burdock root: 40g
- carrot: 40g
- Dried shiitake mushroom: 3 pieces
- Kelp (10cm x 10cm): 1 piece
- dried dried shiitake mushrooms: 10 pcs.
- [Seasoning A] Water (mashroom water of dried shiitake mushrooms): 800ml
- [Seasoning A] soy sauce: 60g
- [Seasoning A] Sugar: 30g
- [Seasoning A] Sake: 20g
- Toothpicks: 6 toothpicks
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut a slit on one short side of the fried bean curd and put your fingers in the bag.
2. 2. Cut burdock root into small pieces and drain in water to remove the scum. Cut carrot into small pieces. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms and cut into small pieces.
3. 3. Mix rice and 2 ingredients in a bowl, stuff into fried tofu, and secure with toothpicks.
4. 4. Poke about 10 holes all over the fried tofu with a rapeseed spatula to make it easier for the flavor to soak in.
5. 5. Place the kombu and dried sardines in a rice cooker, arrange the 4 ingredients vertically on top, add seasoning A, add water and seasonings, and cook.
6. 6. Remove toothpicks from fried bean curd and place in a bowl.
## Provider Information
provider : Tottori Dietetic Association
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# Igisu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Igisu
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Chubu area
## Main Ingredients Used
Dried egrets
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Igisu" is a dish made from "Igisu grass", also called "egonori". It is said to have been sent to the Imperial Court as a gift as early as the Asuka and Nara periods. Igisu grass is a type of seaweed that washes ashore in the spring. It grows up to about 20 cm in length by entangling itself with the body branches of Hondawaras, and has many fine thread-like branches that split into two one after the other. It grows up to about 20 cm in length. It thrives from summer to fall and is mainly landed at fishing ports in the central and western regions of Japan. The collected "igisu" is dried immediately in the strong summer sun, and then washed in water and sun-dried three or four times to remove algae before it is preserved.Igisu" is a dish based on the same principle as agar and tokoro-ten, which harden naturally without the addition of coagulant, etc. Local dishes based on the boiled and hardened Igisu grass are also found in other regions, such as Igisu Tofu and Ego-neri.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Igisu is often served in vegetarian dishes, festivals, seasonal festivals, weddings, and funerals, and many people associate the word "igisu" with New Year's and Buddhist memorial services.
## How to Eat
The dried Igisu herb is rehydrated, boiled over a low flame, and hardened in a container. It can also be served with dressing or molasses. The key is to boil and dissolve the Igisu until the fibers become smooth. It may look like a yokan (sweet bean jelly), but when you put it in your mouth, the rich aroma of the sea spreads out and you can enjoy its unique tactile sensation, which is essential in vegetarian cooking. It is low in calories and rich in soluble dietary fiber and minerals.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the people who have passed it on, preservation groups, use of SNS, and modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)In addition to being made at home, it is also sold at supermarkets and roadside stations.
## Ingredients
- Dried Sage Grass: 25g
- Water: 500ml
- sesame seeds: Appropriate amount
- Soy sauce: Appropriate amount
- Vinegar: small amount
## Recipe
1. 1. Rinse the dried raspberry grass in water two or three times and then soak it in water to reconstitute it. Then, remove any debris by placing it in a colander.
2. 2. Put the water, water, and a small amount of vinegar into a pot and heat.
3. 3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 30 to 40 minutes.
4. 4. When the mixture is well kneaded, transfer it to a bat or something and cool it in the refrigerator.
5. 5. When hardened, cut into bite-size pieces and sprinkle with sesame seeds. When ready to eat, dip the dumplings in soy sauce.
## Provider Information
provider : Tottori Dietetic Association
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# Izumo Soba ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Izumo Soba
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Izumo Area
## Main Ingredients Used
Izumo Soba
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Izumo soba is representative of the Izumo region. Along with "wanko soba" in Iwate Prefecture and "Togakushi soba" in Nagano Prefecture, it is one of the three most famous soba in Japan. It is said that soba spread to the Izumo region in the early Edo period when Naomasa Matsudaira, the first lord of the Matsudaira family of the Matsue domain, brought soba chefs with him when he moved from the Matsumoto domain in Shinshu.Izumo soba has a darker color than most soba. When buckwheat flour is milled, it is generally classified into three types of flour, from the first to the third. For example, soba made from the first buckwheat flour, which is ground from the center of the buckwheat seed, is called Sarashina soba, while soba made from the third buckwheat flour, which is ground from the part closer to the outer shell, is darker in color and is called Yabusoba or Inaka soba.Izumo soba is made using a milling method called "Hikigurumi," in which the buckwheat (the buckwheat with the hull attached) is ground directly into buckwheat flour without sorting. This process is said to produce soba with high nutritional value and aroma, as well as a good flavor and texture. Another feature of soba is that only about 20% of the flour is used to bind the buckwheat.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Since buckwheat seeds could be grown even in mountain fields on barren land, eating buckwheat has been a common practice in the Okuizumo region since the Heian period (794-1185).Today, buckwheat is distributed throughout the year, but the best time to eat buckwheat is when freshly harvested buckwheat seeds are available in the fall.
## How to Eat
Izumo soba is locally served as either cold "wariko soba" or warm "kama-age” soba. Wariko soba is a type of buckwheat noodle served in a cylindrical, round, stacked box called a wariko. It is served with cold soba dipping sauce. The name derives from the fact that in the castle town of Matsue during the Edo period, soba was carried in square stacked boxes. The square stacked boxes were difficult to wash, so they gradually became round stacked boxes as we know them today. Soba sauce is served in an earthenware jar and poured directly over the buckwheat noodles in the box. The soba is washed after boiling by soaking it in cold water, which is also known as “Arai” meaning washing in Japanese.While wariko soba originated in Matsue, kama-age soba is said to have originated near shrines such as Izumo Taisha Shrine.In October of the lunar calendar, during the "Kamiari Festival" held at shrines in the Izumo region, food stalls lined the streets and hot kama-age soba (freshly-boiled soba) was served. The boiled soba was usually rinsed in cold water, but the rinsing process was omitted in order to sell the soba at food stands. Soba noodles were served as they were after being taken out from the pot or kettle, with thickened sobayu and condiments poured over the soba. As with wariko soba, you can adjust the flavor by adding your own dipping sauce.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)It is served at local soba restaurants and other eateries. Even within the same "Izumo soba," each restaurant has its own personality and specialties, and many tourists enjoy eating their way through the area.
## Ingredients
- buckwheat flour: 400g
- Water: 450cc
- Battering powder: 200g
## Recipe
1. 1. Sift the buckwheat flour, add 70% of the specified amount of water, use your fingertips to mix the water in a circular motion, add the remaining 20%, mix again, observe the consistency, and add more if necessary. Gather the mixture into one, press your thumb into the dough in the direction of clockwise rotation, knead it firmly to create a crumbly texture, and use the kneading stick to create triangular wedges while pressing against the edge to remove air.
2. 2. Sprinkle flour on the board, press the dough from above to flatten it, sprinkle flour on the dough, and flatten it further by turning it from the center by hand. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin, pushing it out from the center. Repeat while turning.
3. 3. Sprinkle with flour, roll out the dough around the rolling pin, and when it reaches a certain size, spread it out, sprinkle with flour, and spread it out so that it is about 2 mm thick.
4. 4. Sprinkle with flour and cut into pieces about 2 mm thick. Boil in plenty of boiling water.
5. 5. Rinse with water and cool in cold water. Place in a bowl and pour yakumi(condiments) and soba soup over the top.
## Provider Information
provider : Shimane Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Council
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# Sumoji ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Sumoji
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Tobu Area (Unnan City etc.)
## Main Ingredients Used
Mackerel, rice, glutinous rice, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Shimane Prefecture boasts one of the highest annual catches of mackerel in Japan. The cold, rough seas of the Sea of Japan produce delicious, fatty mackerel. Sumoji is a type of chirashi-sushi, and is a type of sushi made with grilled mackerel, which is a specialty of the prefecture, served over vinegared rice.Sumoji is a specialty of the Kisuki and Mitoya areas of Unnan City, located inland. This area has long prospered as a transportation hub connecting the Izumo region and Hiroshima Prefecture. Generally, the term "grilled mackerel sushi" refers to "stick sushi," but in the inland area of Shimane Prefecture, it sometimes refers to chirashi zushi, a type of sushi made of unrolled grilled mackerel.Through this district, mackerel caught off the Sea of Japan were often transported to various regions. Before the Meiji era (1868-1912), preservation techniques and transportation methods had not been established. As mackerel is called "live spoilage" when it is damaged quickly, grilled mackerel, which can be preserved relatively well, was a wisdom of life born from popular culture, and was a valuable food supplement for protein.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Grilled mackerel has long been eaten during the busy farming season as a valuable source of protein. Today, it is served regardless of the season. There are even restaurants in the city that specialize in grilled mackerel, and it has become a popular local delicacy among tourists from within and outside of the prefecture. In addition to grilled mackerel, other types of fatty mackerel are also enjoyed, such as "mackerel boiled fish," "shime saba," "saba-zushi (sushi with a shape of mackerel)," and "saba-no-nigui (simmered mackerel).”
## How to Eat
A whole mackerel is skewered and slowly grilled until it is charred, a traditional method of cooking in the Kisuki and Mitoya areas of Unnan City. When served as "sumoji," the savory aroma of the charred bits will wet your appetite. Grilled mackerel meat is removed from the bones, loosened, and mixed with vinegar. Remove the gills as they are oily and not suitable for sushi.Make sushi rice by combining rice and glutinous rice, cook slightly firm, and sprinkle with the previously broken pieces of grilled mackerel. It is often mixed with other ingredients such as carrots, dried shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and kanpyo (dried gourd) cooked in dashi (Japanese soup stock) to make a sweet and spicy sauce. A sprinkling of broiled egg or chopped nori (seaweed) adds a splash of color.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)It can be purchased at restaurants and delicatessen stores in Yunnan. There are also restaurants specializing in grilled mackerel.While "sumoji" had been a well-established home-style dish, it began to attract attention as a tourism resource around the 1990s, and its recognition as a local cuisine has grown.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 2 gou
- Glutinous rice: 2 tbsp.
- [Awase-zu(sweet and sour dressing)]:
- Rice Vinegar: 20cc
- Sugar: 1 tbsp or more
- Salt: 1／2 tsp.
- Grilled mackerel: 1 fish (450g)
- (A) carrot: 40g
- (A) dried kanpyo: 5g
- (A) bamboo shoots: 40g
- (A) Japanese butterbur: 40g
- (A) shiitake mushroom: 2
- Snowpea: 20g
- Light soy sauce: 1 tsp.
- Sugar: 1／2 tsp.
- Broiled egg: 1
- Chopped seaweed: As needed
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash rice and glutinous rice together. Cook in slightly less water than usual and let sit for about 20 minutes before cooking.
2. 2. Dissolve the vinegar well.
3. 3. Cut carrots into small chunks and kanpyo (dried gourd) into small pieces. Chop bamboo shoots, Japanese butterbur and shiitake mushrooms finely. Boil the kinusaya (snowpea) quickly in salted water, drain, and slice diagonally into thin strips.
4. 4. Remove the head from behind the gills of grilled mackerel. Remove the head from the back of the gills, taking care not to leave any bones. The head part from the gills is not suitable for sushi because of its high oil content.
5. 5. Put the chopped ingredients in a saucepan, add enough water to cover the ingredients, and bring to a boil over low heat. Bring to a boil, add light soy sauce and sugar, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. After boiling, drain off the cooking liquid.
6. 6. Transfer the cooked rice to a sushi tub and pour the vinegar mixture from 2 into the tub.
7. 7. Add the ingredients from step 5 and the broken mackerel meat and mix to combine.
8. 8. Place the sushi rice in a bowl and garnish with a thinly sliced egg, kinugasa peas, and chopped nori seaweed.
## Provider Information
provider : Shimane Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Council
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# Tsumire Ni ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Tsumire Ni
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Izumo Area, Iwami Area, Oki Area etc.
## Main Ingredients Used
Okigisu fish, horse mackerel, flying fish, gobou(=burdock), carrot, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Shimane Prefecture has a coastline 1.026 km (637 miles) long, the 10th longest in the country. Offshore, the Tsushima warm current flows toward the northeast, providing an ideal environment for fishing. Fishing methods are diverse, including seine, trawl, set-net, and single-line fishing. The offshore smelt, horse mackerel, and flying fish harvested by these fishing methods are made into surimi, which is then made into tsumire (fish ball) with gobou(=burdock) and green onion, and eaten as tsumire-ni (stewed fish ball) or tsumire-jiru (soup with tsumire).In particular, "tsumire-ni" (simmered offshore smelt) is recommended by the locals. One piece of Okigisu, which is not so big (about 20 cm in length), is not so satisfying to eat. If you mince several of them together and make tsumi-ni, you can save time and effort in cooking. Okigisu is the local name for the fish, and its official name is "Nigisu". In some areas, it is also called "Tonkoro iwashi" .Okigisu are readily available throughout the year. A long time ago, a familiar sight at fresh fish stores was a box full of okigisu lined up on the shelves. Because they are relatively inexpensive, they are often served at the dinner table. The fish is fatty all year round, and some locals say that it is "as good as Saury”. It is a white-fleshed fish with no peculiarities.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The okigisu used in "tsumire-ni" is distributed throughout the year and is popular as an everyday food, with December through February being its season, when it is particularly rich in fat. Because it loses its freshness quickly, most of the okigisus caught are dried overnight. The fresh sashimi and tsumire are a local delicacy.
## How to Eat
Tsumire-ni is steamed or boiled in Japanese soup stock with seasonal vegetables such as carrots and gobou(=burdock). Ginger juice can be used to add a refreshing flavor, and yam can be added as the thickener. If minced finely with a knife, small bones will not be a problem.In addition to tsumire, it can also be shaped into hanpen (triangle shape) and deep-fried, or even eaten as namero (chopped and mixed with miso).
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)Okigisu are sold at fresh fish stores and supermarkets. It is sometimes sold in minced form. It can also be frozen and stored as fish balls, making it easy to use. Not only Okigisu, but also horse mackerel, flying fish, and other locally caught fish are available at local restaurants as tsumire-ni (stewed fish balls), each prepared in its own way.
## Ingredients
- Minced okigisu fish: 500g
- Katakuriko(=potato starch): 50g
- Egg white: 2
- Salt:
- Sake: a little
- Mirin (sweet rice wine): a little
- Ginger juice: a little
- Green onion: as needed
- Kelp Dashi (=Japanese soup stock): 200cc
- Salt: 5g
- Light soy sauce: 30cc
- Mirin (sweet rice wine): 30cc
- Ginger juice: a little
- Ginger: as needed
## Recipe
1. 1. Remove the head and entrails from the Okigisu, and pound the fish bones into surimi (fish cake). (You can also use a food processor.)
2. 2. Add half of the chopped small onion and seasonings to 1, and mix with potato starch and egg white.
3. 3. Combine kombu dashi with seasonings, add 2 in tsumire(fish cake ball) form, and simmer.
4. 4. When tsumire floats to the surface, season with light soy sauce and salt to taste. Finally, top with the remaining small onion and ginger strips.
## Provider Information
provider : Mr. Masaru Morii, Executive Director, Shimane Culinary Association
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# Sazae Meshi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Sazae Meshi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Entire Oki Area, Iwami Area, Izumo Coastal Area
## Main Ingredients Used
Sazae(=Turban Shell), Rice
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The waters around the Oki Islands, where the warm Tsushima current and the cold Liman current collide, are rich in plankton and nutrients, making it abundant in seafood. The high quality of the seafood has been known since ancient times, and during the Heian period, it was presented as one of the "Miketsukuni" (land of abundant food) offerings to the imperial family and the court.There is a diverse range of shellfish, including turban shells (Sazae), abalone, bay scallops, and unique local varieties. The local authorities promote the region as the "Kingdom of Shellfish in the Oki Islands," highlighting the charm of local ingredients.Sazae (turban shell) is still harvested using traditional fishing methods. One such method is "Kanagi-gyo," where fishermen use a glass-fitted wooden box called "Hakomegane" to peer into the seabed from the fishing boat and use a spear-like tool to catch Sazae. Additionally, fishermen engage in "Sashiami-gyo," a method where they dive and use a net to catch shellfish on the seabed. While Sazae was once freely harvested, recent regulations on fishing rights have led to increased prices.Oki's Sazae is a staple in Oki Island's cuisine, offering a delightful crunchy texture when eaten as sashimi, and a gentle essence permeates when grilled or simmered, adding depth to the flavor. Sazae is an essential ingredient on the Oki Islands' dining tables, cherished in various culinary preparations, with "Sazae Meshi" being one of the popular Sazae dishes.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
From July, following the lifting of the Sazae fishing ban in May and June, activities like diving for Sazae begin. As the catch increases, prices become more reasonable, and Sazae finds its way to the dining table more frequently.In Oki, occasions where many people gather, such as New Year's, festivals, celebrations, and agricultural work, often feature "Sazae Meshi" norimaki (seaweed wrapped rolls). The norimaki uses the locally renowned Iwa nori (rock seaweed) from the Oki Islands. In addition to "Sazae Meshi," various Sazae dishes like grilled and sashimi are also served during these gatherings.
## How to Eat
Sazae is thoroughly washed, boiled in water with its shell, and finely chopped. The boiled Sazae's broth is used as a dashi, and both the dashi and chopped Sazae are cooked together with rice in this simple dish. While traditionally the dish includes only Sazae as an ingredient, in recent years, some households also add vegetables such as carrots and burdock.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)Sazae dishes, including "sazae-meshi," are offered in local restaurants and eateries. In addition to traditional dishes like grilled Sazae and sashimi, Sazae is also used in processed products like curry toppings. The specialty product "Sazae Curry" from Ama Town has become a popular item, selling tens of thousands of units annually.
## Ingredients
- Rice: 2 cups
- Sazae (=Turban shell): 4
- Carrot: 30g
- Gobou(=Burdock): 40g
- Light soy sauce: 1 tbsp.
- Sake: 1 tbsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the rice.
2. 2. Wash the sazae (=Turban shell), place it in a pot with enough water, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat, and remove the sazae meat. Chop the sazae meat, and reserve the cooking liquid.
3. 3. In a rice cooker, combine rice, the reserved sazae (=Turban shell) cooking liquid, water, (shaved gobou(=Burdock) and finely chopped carrot, if using), chopped sazae, light soy sauce, and sake. Cook the rice.
## Provider Information
provider : Shimane Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Council
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# Tobiuo no Sashimi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Tobiuo no Sashimi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Eastern Area, Oki Area
## Main Ingredients Used
Tobiuo(=Flying fish)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In Shimane Prefecture, known for its abundant "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" catch, these fish are affectionately called "Ago" by the locals. Among the approximately 30 species of "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" identified in Japan, Shimane Prefecture primarily catches "Hoso Tobiuo" and "Tsukushi Tobiuo." The fishing methods for "Hoso Tobiuo" include fixed nets, gill nets, and encircling nets, while "Tsukushi Tobiuo" is also caught using scoop nets. The fishing season typically starts in May and concludes in August, with the initial catch of "Tsukushi Tobiuo" occurring relatively early in the season."Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" have muscular, lean flesh with minimal fat, offering a mild and delicate flavor. True to their name, flying fish are capable of gliding through the air for several meters. Exploiting this unique characteristic, there is a distinctive method of "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" fishing known as "Ago Sukui." During the night, bright lights or torches are illuminated on boats, attracting "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)". The fish are then caught using large nets. It is reported that between 600 to 900 fish can be caught in a single night. The spectacle of "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" leaping out of the water has led to the designation of "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" as the prefectural fish of Shimane, a recognition received in 1989.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Every year, during the early summer season, a large number of "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" migrate to the coastal areas of Shimane Prefecture for spawning, resulting in a bountiful catch. During this period, households and local eateries serve a variety of "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" dishes, including "Tobiuo sashimi." The months from June to August, corresponding to the spawning season, are considered the peak season for "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)". During this time, the fish have accumulated nutrients in their bodies, making it the prime time for enjoying the flavors of flying fish dishes.
## How to Eat
"Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" is enjoyed in its fresh state as sashimi or can be deliciously prepared as a grilled fish. The meat has a light and elegant taste with low fat content, making it visually appealing as well. Some people decorate the head before consumption, creating an artistic presentation. When cooking, it is essential to remove the long gills, fins, and scales before preparation. Flying fish is known for yielding flavorful broth, making it suitable for creating Dashi (=Japanese soup stock) with unique sweetness and minimal aftertaste. It is versatile and can be used in soups, such as "Tsumire-jiru," where fish balls are made from its meat. The fish roe, known as "Ago no ko," is considered a delicacy and is traded at high prices.Various processed products are also popular, including "Ago no yakimono," where the minced meat is molded into a cylindrical shape and grilled. Despite resembling large "chikuwa (tube shaped fish cake)" in appearance, it has a firm texture reminiscent of "kamaboko (semi cylindrical fish cake)". When bitten, the richness of the fish meat spreads throughout the mouth. The product earned its name, "Ago no yakimono," from an anecdote suggesting it was named by Matsudaira Harusato, the seventh lord of the Matsue Domain, who avoided smoke and heat while grilling it outdoors.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)t is available for purchase at local fishmongers, supermarket fresh fish sections, and is even sold as dried broth. Efforts to promote its consumption include incorporating it into menus for cooking classes targeted at children or men. Some localities catering to tourists offer experiences in catching "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" through a method called "Ago-sukui."
## Ingredients
- "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)": 2 fish (about 300g)
- Daikon Radish: 40g
- Green Shiso: 2
- Soy Sauce: to taste
- Wasabi: to taste
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the "Tobiuo(=Flying fish)" in water, remove the scales, and cut off the head along with the pectoral fins. Remove the pelvic fins by pressing down with a knife.
2. 2. Open the belly, remove the internal organs, wash with water, and pat dry.
3. 3. Filet the fish into three pieces, remove the belly bones, and peel the skin from the tail end.
4. 4. Cut the peeled flesh into pieces.
5. 5. Julienne the daikon radish into thin strips, arrange them on a plate, place green shiso on top, and serve the sashimi on the bed of daikon radish. Add soy sauce and wasabi to taste.
## Provider Information
provider : Shimane Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Council
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# Fukinotou-miso (butterbur sprouts with miso) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Fukinotou-miso (butterbur sprouts with miso)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Izumo region, Iwami region, etc.
## Main Ingredients Used
butterbur sprouts, white miso, country miso, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Butterbur sprouts, also known as "Fukinoto", are a well-known delicacy in spring. Shimane Prefecture is particularly famous for this wild vegetable, which is abundant in its clean water and fertile land. The arrival of spring is heralded by these sprouts, which can be found growing in rice paddies, mountain forests, city banks, and parks. They are picked by elderly people on their walks, and children on their way home from school. Butterbur sprouts are so common that they grace dinner tables in every household, and some farmers even devote part of their farms to their cultivation. Because they can be frozen and stored, it's easy to procure large quantities of butterbur sprouts and enjoy them year-round. These sprouts can be used in various dishes like tempura, salad, and stir-fry. "Fukinotou miso" is a popular dish made with miso and butterbur sprouts, which is often served with rice and as a snack with alcoholic beverages.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In some areas, butterbur sprouts can be found in grocery stores and supermarkets, typically from January until early April. These sprouts grow in the wild on mountain slopes and rice paddies, and it's common for locals to share them with one another. Additionally, during this time of year, other mountain delicacies such as field horsetail, royal ferns, and bamboo shoots are also available to enjoy.
## How to Eat
Choose butterbur sprouts with small, closed buds that are less bitter. These sprouts have a unique bitterness and aroma that can be reduced by cooking them immediately after picking. To prepare them, boil finely chopped butterbur sprouts in hot water with baking soda to remove the bitterness, and then soak them in cold water. Squeeze out the water well and mix the sprouts with white miso, country miso, sake, mirin, and other seasonings. Adjust the miso mixture to your taste, and if it becomes too salty, add sugar. This mixture can be kept refrigerated for a long time. If you want to keep the bright green color of the sprouts, soak them in cold water immediately after boiling. Many restaurants that serve “butterbur sprouts”with miso” prepare them this way for visual appeal.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
During the season, butterbur is sold at roadside stands and specialty stores. Some restaurants use frozen butterbur sprouts to make “miso butterbur sprouts” year-round.
## Ingredients
- Butterbur sprouts: 140g
- Roasted sesame seeds: A pinch
- Barley miso: 30g
- White miso: 250g
- Sake: 20cc
- Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine): 20cc
- Sugar: 20g
- Baking soda: Appropriate quantity
- Salt: Appropriate quantity
## Recipe
1. 1. Boil butterbur sprouts in water with salt and baking soda.
2. 2. Squeeze out the water and finely chop.
3. 3. Combine 2 and seasonings, and grind well in a mortar.
## Provider Information
provider : Mr. Masaru Morii, Executive Director, "Shimane Culinary Association"
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# Dojo kenchinjiru ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Dojo kenchinjiru
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
The eastern region (Yasugi City, etc.)
## Main Ingredients Used
Loach, burdock, shiitake mushrooms, carrot, radish, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Yasugibushi is a folk song that has been passed down in Yasugi City since ancient times. The “loach scooping” movement, in which the dancer holds a colander and dances with humorous choreography, is well-known. According to one theory, this loach scooping gesture was adapted from the movements of men working in iron sand curation workshops. Even though loach is “dojo” in Japanese, the “dojo” in this dish’s name does not refer to the river fish “loach” but instead refers to soil, which is also “dojo” in Japanese.That being said, even before the creation of Yasugibushi, loach food culture had taken root in Yasugi City. As goes the saying, “one eel and one loach,” it was a nutritional food to boost one's energy. Loach was such a familiar ingredient that it was even recorded in the fish category of the Record of Izumo’s Domestic Products which was a compilation by the Matsue domain of the products of the territory at the end of the Edo period.In Yasugi City, which ranks second in the nation in loach production, the aquaculture business began in earnest after the war. Currently, it is focusing on branding the Aozora Loach that was grown in rice fields.There are a variety of loach dishes, including fried loach, Yanagawa hotpot, and candied stew, but dojo kenchinjiru, which is made with loach and plenty of other ingredients from the mountains of Shimane Prefecture, is popular.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is said that during the spawning season in early summer, loaches are fatty and delicious. Shipping peaks in the summer. In the olden days, they were eaten during “mud removal” after rice planting. Nowadays, it is rarely served at the dinner table in ordinary households and is often seen at restaurants that serve local cuisine.
## How to Eat
It is sometimes eaten with miso, but it is also delicious when added to soup. Fry the loach in a pan with oil, then pour in hot water and add dashi stock. In addition to seasonal root vegetables such as carrots and radish, you can also add shiitake mushrooms and tofu. Adding sugar makes it more flavorful.When frying loach in oil, it may splash around in the pan. If you put the loach in a pot containing sake in advance, cover it, and let it sit for a while, it will behave and be easier to cook.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
When in season, you can buy fresh loach at supermarkets and production associations. In the past, it was a freshwater fish commonly seen in rice fields and rivers, but now it has become a rare and luxury fish, and opportunities to eat it are decreasing. For this reason, Yasugi City is working to develop local gourmet dishes made with loach in order to pass on this local specialty to future generations, and local volunteer restaurants serve curry sushi and omelet rice made with loach.
## Ingredients
- Loaches (small): 18
- Firm tofu: 1／2
- Taro: 3
- Radish: 1／10
- Carrot: 1／4
- Konjac: 1
- Burdock: 20g
- Dashi stock: 600cc
- Salt: Just a little
- Light soy sauce: 60cc
- Mirin: 60cc
- Sugar: 3 tbsp.
- Squeezed ginger juice: Just a little
- Oil: Appropriate amount
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes, then cut the taro, radish, and konjac into bite-sized pieces.
2. 2. Cut the burdock into cubes and soak in water to remove the scum. Stir-fry all the vegetables in oil, and once they are half-cooked, add the tofu and dashi stock. Dojo kenchinjiru
3. 3. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the loach and seasonings and bring to a boil. Dojo kenchinjiru
4. 4. Serve with diagonally chopped white onions and green onions on top.
## Provider Information
provider : Mr. Yu Morii, Executive Director of the Shimane Prefecture Culinary Federation
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# Agono ko umani (braised flying fish roe) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Agono ko umani (braised flying fish roe)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Oki island area
## Main Ingredients Used
Flying fish roe
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Flying fish is the prefectural fish of Shimane Prefecture and is known as the fish that heralds early summer among the local people. In mid-May or later, it migrates to Oki island. There are two types of flying fish in Shimane Prefecture - the Hosotobi Uo and Tsukushi Uo. The former is called "maru (round) ago" and the latter "kaku (square) ago". Together, they are called "ago". Flying fish has been rooted as an everyday food since ancient times and is also known as "taue sakana". This term was passed down among local farmers who served flying fish to their helpers during rice planting. A long time ago, people used to say, "If we can't get flying fish, we can't plant rice". There are many dishes made with flying fish, including sashimi and fried fish, but the delicacy of flying fish roe is frequently consumed. Compared to cod roe and salmon roe, flying fish roe is characterized by its large size and somewhat tough skin. Each roe is also harder to break apart and has a sticky texture. Many locals enjoy this unique texture and flavor. The locals recommend agono ko umani (braised flying fish roe), which goes well with sake. Dishes using the roe of flying fish are well-loved and eaten by locals. The roe of flying fish is only available during the spawning season of flying fish, so some locals say that they are more precious than the meat itself and are a luxury item.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The price of flying fish roe is relatively high because it can only be obtained from flying fish, which have roe that are harvested during early summer. Some processors, such as kamaboko (fish cake) shops, may sell only the roe removed from the fish, even though they require only the flesh of the flying fish.
## How to Eat
It is a simple dish made by stir-frying the roe with the skin in dashi, mirin, sake, or dark soy sauce. If you want to enjoy it as a snack, be sure to season it well. Adding ginger juice or chopped ginger can enhance the flavor and reduce the fishy taste. It's also delicious when marinated in miso and grilled.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
During the season, supermarkets and fresh fish stores sell flying fish roe. Additionally, local izakaya and restaurants offer dishes made with flying fish roe, such as simmered or grilled options.
## Ingredients
- Flying fish roe: 8 pieces
- Ginger: Appropriate quantity
- Water: 150ml
- Soy sauce: 3 tbsp.
- Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine): 3 tbsp.
- Sake: 1 tsp.
- Sugar: 1 tsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Put water, thinly sliced ginger and seasonings in a pot and bring to a boil. Then add flying fish roe and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
2. 2. Arrange in a serving dish and garnish with ginger.
## Provider Information
provider : Mr. Masaru Morii, Executive Director, Shimane Culinary Association
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# Steamed blood clams (akagai garan mushi/akagai no kara mushi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Steamed blood clams (akagai garan mushi/akagai no kara mushi)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Izumo region
## Main Ingredients Used
Blood clams (salubowgai)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The salt water-packed wetlands that sit between fresh and sea water are called brackish lakes. There are 18 such lakes in Japan, and Nakaumi Lake, spanning the border between Shimane and Tottori Prefectures, is one of them.Among the foodstuffs representative of Nakaumi Lake is the blood clam. The formal name of this clam in Japanese is salubowgai and it is of a different type than what is generally known as a blood clam. Though the two look alike, a salubowgai’s shell has about 32 grooves while a blood clam’s shell has about 42 grooves. The sizes of the two also differ, with the salubowgai being smaller.In the Kojiki, it was a blood clam that healed the wound of the Hare of Inaba, whose skin had been ripped off.Until about the third decade of the Showa period (1950s), Nakaumi Lake was number one in Japan for blood clam production. However, because of land reclamation projects and a decrease in water quality, the size of catches there has been decreasing. By the sixth decade of Showa (1980s), the problem had become bad enough that the shipment of clams ceased. The second decade of the Heisei period (2000s) saw advancements in aquaculture, and in Heisei 25 (2013) the shipment of clams was restarted.In the Izumo region, blood clams are steamed with their shells on and then eaten. This dish in Japanese is called akagai no kara mushi or, locally, akagai garan mushi. There are several theories as to the origin of the word garan. Some say that it is an accented pronunciation of the standard word for shell, kara; others say that it comes from the sound made when shells are washed over a strainer to remove the sand stuck in their grooves, garan garan.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Steamed blood clams are fondly eaten by locals as a fixture of New Year’s cuisine. In past times, fishing for blood clams in Nakaumi Lake was the primary occupation of fishermen in the winter and spring. Demand from everyday locals was such that fisherman from Daikon Island in Nakaumi Lake would come to sell blood clams daily.Although catches around the third decade of the Showa period (1950s) amounted to over 1,000 tons, environmental degradation due to land reclamation and polluted water made it impossible to fish for a time. In recent years, resource rehabilitation efforts have made local clams safe to eat once again.
## How to Eat
To a pot add water, sake, soy sauce, and sugar. When the mixture is boiling, add in the blood clams. If any scum rises, remove it. When the clams have opened and absorbed the flavor, it is time to eat. If simmered too long the clams will become hard, so it is important to cook them quickly. The clams can also be prepared by cooking them directly on a grill.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Tourist establishments in Matsue City, which neighbors Nakaumi Lake, offer blood clams either simmered or steamed in sake. The development of processed foods that make use of clams that don’t meet market standards is also underway. Clams cooked together with rice or simmered together with meats and vegetables are offered for sale.
## Ingredients
- Blood clams (salubowgai): 250g
- Broth: 400cc
- Mirin: 40cc
- Light soy sauce: 40cc
## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the blood clams, rubbing them together as you do.
2. 2. Into a pot add the mirin, broth, and soy sauce. Once it is boiling, add all the clams and close the lid. Bring the broth back to a boil, remove the lid, and give the clams a shake. Return the lid to the pot, turn off the heat, and let sit for 30 seconds.
3. 3. Remove the lid and take out the clams whose shells have opened.
4. 4. The broth will be dirty, so do not consume it.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe courtesy of Yu Morii, Standing Director, Shimane Prefecture Association of Cooking Instructors
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# Koi no Ito-zukuri ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Koi no Ito-zukuri
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Matsue City
## Main Ingredients Used
Carp, carp roe, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Shinjiko is a brackish lake with a mixture of freshwater and seawater, connected to Nakaumi between the Shimane and Tottori prefectures. It is home to an abundance of marine life, including basket clams, pond smelt, ice fish, sea bass, greasyback shrimp, carp, and eel, which are known as "Shinjiko Shicchin," or the Seven Delicacies of Lake Shinji.Shinjiko's relatively low salinity enables a large catch of freshwater carp, some of which are said to weigh nearly 20 kg. They are generally eaten in "Koikoku (miso soup)" or as Arai (sashimi). "Koi no Ito-zukuri" was a noble cuisine eaten by emperors and shoguns from the Kamakura period to the Meiji period. Today, it is a winter regional cuisine of Matsue City, which gained prosperity as a castle town. The carp is divided into three pieces and cut into long, thin threads, then sprinkled with roasted carp roe. This technique is said to have been learned from the "Shijo-ryu," a school of Japanese cuisine dating back to the Heian period. It is served by sprinkling roasted carp roe on top of long, thinly sliced pieces of carp sashimi.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Carp are mainly caught during the cold season from December to March. The flavor is best during the spawning season in April to May, when the fish has accumulated the most nutrients. After this, the fish lose weight and the flavor becomes diminished. Legend has it that eating carp can increase the production of breastmilk in postpartum women, and it was valued in the past as a nutritious ingredient. It used to be an essential dish for celebrations, but it is not served as often today due to changes in eating habits.
## How to Eat
The carp are divided into three pieces, abdominal bones and pin bones are removed, and vertical cuts are made along the body. Then, they are thinly sliced horizontally to make long, thin threads. Before sprinkling on the carp sashimi, the carp roe is salt-rubbed, rinsed, then placed in a pot. If carp roe is not available, herring roe or scrambled eggs are sometimes used instead. One of the defining features of "Koi no Ito-zukuri" is the "Irizake" (reduced sake) in the sauce. "Jidenshu," which has a rich sweetness, was used to make Irizake in the past, but it is difficult to obtain today because of the limited supply. Instead, Irizake is recreated today by mixing sake, mirin, soy sauce, salt, and other ingredients such as roasted rice and roasted plums.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Because it requires a great deal of technique to make, it is rarely made at home and is instead eaten as a celebratory meal in traditional Japanese restaurants and other restaurants in Matsue City.
## Ingredients
- Carp: Half fish
- Carp roe (if unavailable, use egg yolk or herring roe): As needed
- Sake: 4 tbsp.
- Mirin: 2 tbsp.
- Soy sauce: 2 tbsp.
- Rice: As needed
- Pickled plum: 1 piece
- Bonito flakes: As needed
## Recipe
1. 1. Descale the carp, remove the head and guts, then cut into 3 pieces.
2. 2. With the carp skin facing down, cut a paper-like shape about 2mm thick, then cut vertically into thin strips.
3. 3. Put the carp roe into a bowl and rub with salt to clean, then rinse with water and boil.
4. 4. After boiling, drain the water and dry-roast to remove the moisture, then sprinkle onto the carp strips.
5. 5. Boil the peeled skin on high heat, cut into thin strips and serve on the side of the carp strips.
6. 6. Combine the sake, mirin, soy sauce, and salt, wrap the roasted rice and grilled pickled plum in cheesecloth and add to the liquid, and boil until it is reduced to about half. Add the bonito flakes just before turning off the heat, then strain.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: Kiyokazu Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of the Shimane Culinary Association
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# Whitebait tempura ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Whitebait tempura
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Matsue city
## Main Ingredients Used
Whitebait, bamboo shoots, rapeseed blossom, seasonal vegetables etc
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Whitebait is one of the fish that represent the so-called "seven treasures of Lake Shinji", a brackish lake in Shimane Prefecture where fresh and salt water mingle together. Whitebait from Matsue has been valued highly since the Edo period, with restaurants all over the country endorsing it as the best in Japan.The fish range from 5-10cm in length. They are transparent when at their freshest, but turn opaque after a few hours. While often confused with the similar-looking ice goby, they are an entirely different species, inhabiting different areas.Whitebait is caught in Lake Shinji between November and May, mainly with trout nets and gill nets. It has long been known as "the fish that signals spring"; some locals even say that if you don't eat whitebait, the spring won't come. In ancient times, it was said that one could see whitebait fishing from the Matsue Bridge. Documents from the Meiji period contain descriptions of canneries in Matsue city, where whitebait would be packed into cans.Fresh whitebait can be eaten raw as sashimi, allowing you to appreciate its flavor and firm texture. There are many other preparations of whitebait to savor in Matsue, including vinegar dressings and egg-drop soups. One of these is whitebait tempura, a regular fixture at local restaurants as an accompaniment to udon noodles or a bowl of rice. It allows you to enjoy the soft, light texture of tempura, together with the umami taste of whitebait, which is increased by deep-frying.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The Lake Shinji fishing season opens on November 15th and lasts until May 31st the following year. It is said that long ago, one could see peaceful scenes of whitebait fishing boats bobbing in the Ohashi river, which connects Lake Shinji to Lake Nakaumi, from the Matsue Bridge.Most of the whitebait caught in Lake Shinji ends up in Tokyo or the Kansai region, with the local supply dwindling in recent years.
## How to Eat
It is said that handling whitebait with your bare hands will cause the warmth of your hands to spoil the flavor, so you may want to transfer them to a strainer when rinsing them.Whitebait's flavor goes well with any ingredients, making it very versatile. It can be used in many different variations on tempura: for example, with bamboo shoots and rapeseed blossom, or with torn shiso leaves. Each household tends to have its own unique recipes and ways of eating them.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Fresh whitebait is sold at supermarkets and fishmongers, but it can be expensive. The fish has become more rare as catches have decreased, so it tends to appear in restaurants more than in regular households.
## Ingredients
- Whitebait: 1 pack
- Mitsuba (Japanese parsley) leaves: 1 bunch
- Shiitake mushroom: 1
- Salt: A pinch
- Pastry flour: 2 tablespoons
- Potato starch: 1 tablespoon
## Recipe
1. 1. Rinse the mitsuba leaves with cold water. Trim the roots, and cut the leaves to a length of 4cm.
2. 2. Thinly slice the mushroom.
3. 3. Add oil to a frying pan, to a depth of 2cm. Heat to 170°C.
4. 4. Mix together the mitsuba leaves, mushroom and whitebait. Sprinkle with the pastry flour, potato starch and salt, and gently blend together.
5. 5. Divide the mixture into eight portions. Drop these into the oil, and fry briefly until crisp.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: Shimane Council for Promotion of Improved Eating Habits
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# Suzuki no Hoshoyaki ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Suzuki no Hoshoyaki
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Matsue City
## Main Ingredients Used
Sea bass
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Shinjiko (Lake Shinji) in the northeastern part of Shimane prefecture is said to have formed about 10,000 years ago. It is about 17 km wide and 6 km long with a circumference of about 47 km, making it the 7th largest lake in Japan. With its dignified lake surface, it was selected as one of the "100 Best Views in Japan."Shinjiko is a brackish lake with a mixture of freshwater and seawater, and this mixture changes depending on the water area and season. The local flavor is cultivated in this unique environment. Sea bass, along with basket clams, pond smelt, ice fish, greasyback shrimp, carp, and eel make up the "Shinjiko Shicchin," the seven types of seafood delicacies for which Shinjiko is known.The name of the sea bass changes as it grows older, going from koseigo, seigo, chuhan, to suzuki. In the "Kuni-yuzuri," an Izumo myth from the Kojiki, a large sea bass from Izumo was presented for the Yamato Imperial Court feast of harmony. "Suzuki no Hoshoyaki" is a specialty cuisine of Matsue City, which has flourished as a castle town since the Edo period. This dish involves steamed sea bass wrapped in hosho (Japanese paper made of mulberry). The fishermen originally steamed the bass in bonfire ashes, but Matsudaira Harusato, 7th Lord of the Matsue clan, did not approve of the ash remaining on the fish, and instead had it wrapped in hosho. This is said to be the beginning of "Suzuki no Hoshoyaki."
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
The season for sea bass in Shinjiko is from autumn to early winter. When the lake water of Shinjiko becomes too rough, the sea bass do a seasonal migration to the connected Nakaumi. It is said that the sea leave Shinjiko and migrate seasonally to Nakaumi because they are afraid of the thunder falling into Shinjiko, and thus the thunder that occurs during this season is referred to as "Suzuki Otoshi.” Following their seasonal migration, the sea bass return to Shinjiko to begin spawning, and they are fertile, full of fat, and ready to eat. Even today, "Suzuki no Hoshoyaki" is eaten on special occasions such as gatherings and banquets.
## How to Eat
To avoid scarring the flesh, the guts are removed through the gills using the "tsubo-nuki" technique. Then, the skin is pierced with metal skewer and thoroughly salted. Once the salt has been absorbed, it is wrapped in hosho. The hosho is wet with sake and water to enhance the aroma and flavor when steaming. Like parchment paper, hosho is able to absorb oil to prevent the fish from being too greasy. It can be eaten with toppings such as grated daikon and chili pepper, soy sauce, or squeezed sudachi citrus. When you take a bite, the savory aroma of roasted hosho spreads throughout your mouth. Sea bass can also be enjoyed in meunière, deep-fried, or in a clear broth.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It is not made often at home. It is served in traditional Japanese restaurants and other restaurants in Matsue city, but a prior reservation is usually required. As one of the Seven Seafood Delicacies of Shinjiko, students of the University of Shimane Junior College Department of Health and Nutrition learn to make it in cooking lessons.
## Ingredients
- Sea bass: 1 fish
- Japanese hosho paper:
- Salt: As needed
## Recipe
1. 1. Remove the scales and gills from the sea bass.
2. 2. Remove the guts using the tsubo-nuki technique, then discard only the gallbladder and put the rest back.
3. 3. Sprinkle salt all over the sea bass.
4. 4. Wet the hosho paper with water, and wrap the sea bass in 2 to 3 layers.
5. 5. Bake in an oven.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: Shimane Prefectural Dietary Life Improvement Promotion Council
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# Eel Tofu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Eel Tofu
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Izumo Region
## Main Ingredients Used
Eel, grilled tofu, Kyo-negi (green onions), seasonal mushrooms, garland chrysanthemum, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
In 1756, Lake Nakaumi, which straddles the boundary between the cities of Matsue and Yasugi, suddenly experienced a bountiful catch of eels. Sagoemon, a merchant from Matsue, took notice of the bumper catch and set out to sell eels in Osaka. He put the eels in baskets and left Yasugi Port, carrying them on his back with a balance bar. He transported them via the Izumo Highway to Okayama Prefecture and Osaka, making full use of overland and water routes. It is said that 20 to 30 people formed a convoy and walked through the Chugoku mountain range on a series of rough roads. The route taken by the convoy is also known as “Eel Road” or “Eel Highway,” with traces of it still evident today.Izumo eels are said to have had a great influence on the food culture in Osaka, so much so that at one time the city was flooded with eel restaurants named “Izumo-ya.” Because the idea of opening the belly of a fish is reminiscent of seppuku (ritual suicide), eel shops in the Kanto region serve eels with the back open and the head removed, while eels with the belly open and the head attached are the norm in the Kansai region. This culture of opening the belly is said to have come from Izumo, triggered by large eel shipments.Even today, eels are still eaten in the Izumo region, and are enjoyed in a variety of dishes such as shiroyaki (grilled eel without sauce), kabayaki (grilled eel with sauce), unaju (eel over rice), chirashizushi (scatted sushi), and “eel tofu” cooked Yanagawa hot pot style.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Although eels are often eaten on the Midsummer Day of the Ox, the natural eel season is winter, when eels store nutrients in preparation for hibernation. Fishing methods include longlines, baskets, bamboo tubes, and shibazuke (traps made of branches). The fishing season runs from April to December, with longlines especially popular from June to October. While eel fishing in Lake Shinji once flourished with bountiful catches, after peaking at 104 tons in 1965, the catch has drastically declined to four tons in 2014 (according to Lake Shinji Fisheries Cooperative).
## How to Eat
When making eel tofu at home, it is less time-consuming to use kabayaki sold at supermarkets. Cut the eel into bite-size pieces, combine with cubes of grilled tofu, and simmer in dashi stock for about 10 minutes to release the flavors and fat from the eel. Then, add ingredients such as Kyo-negi green onions, seasonal mushrooms, or garland chrysanthemum and cook. The grilled tofu should be cut diagonally to increase its surface area so that it can easily absorb the flavors from the eel and ensure a tasty dish.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The Izumo region is home to many eel restaurants. Although most eels are farm-raised nowadays, the local flavor is still preserved today. Eel tofu, which is simple to prepare, has also taken root as a home-style dish.
## Ingredients
- Kabayaki eel: As needed.
- Grilled tofu: As needed.
- Kyo-negi green onions: As needed.
- Shimeji mushrooms: As needed.
- Dashi stock: 360ml
- Light soy sauce: 2 tbsp
- Mirin: 2 tbsp
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the eel kabayaki into several pieces and cut the grilled tofu diagonally.
2. 2. Combine the dashi stock and seasonings, add the eel kabayaki pieces together with the tofu, and cook (simmer) for five to six minutes.
3. 3. Add the chopped Kyo-negi green onions and shimeji mushrooms and bring to a boil.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by: Kiyokazu Nakamoto, Executive Vice Chairman, Shimane Prefecture Federation of Chef’s Associations
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# Kurodaseri to horenso no ohitashi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kurodaseri to horenso no ohitashi
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Matsue City
## Main Ingredients Used
Kuroda Seri, spinach
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Kuroda Seri is a local vegetable of Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, which has been handed down since the Edo period. The name "Kuroda" comes from the old name of the area, Kuroda-cho.The area around Kuroda-cho is said to have been a swampy area where wild Japanese parsley grew wild, and the 5th lord of the Matsue domain, Matsudaira Yoshitada, encouraged the breeding of the parsley. Since then, the cultivation of Japanese parsley began in earnest. The Hitsu hill on the back of this area is a source of clean water, and this growing environment also supported the cultivation of Japanese parsley.Harvesting in the paddy fields during the bitter cold, with bare hands and bare feet, was extremely hard work, and was even said to "shorten life. As time went by, tin paddy field shoes and water heating tubs were introduced to reduce the workload. Although the scene of work in the rice paddies used to be a wintertime tradition, the number of Kuroda Seri farmers in the town has dwindled to a few.Kuroda Seri is characterized by its peculiar aroma, but Kuroda Seri is less acrid and more fragrant, and in the 1930s it was labeled "the best in Japan" by Kitaoji Rosanjin. Kuroda Seri has a crunchy texture and can be used in a wide variety of dishes, such as stir-frying and dressing with mustard mayonnaise. Among them, "Ohitashi (boiled spinach and kuroda-seri)" is a dish often eaten at home with spinach.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Harvesting is from November to the beginning of March. Since it is said to improve blood flow, many locals eat it as "New Year's parsley" to avoid catching a cold, and shipments peak from the end of the year to the beginning of the New Year. Kuroda-seri is used on winter tables in Matsue City for boiled vegetables and nabe (hot pot), and was also valued as a healthy winter vegetable.
## How to Eat
To enjoy the unique aroma, flavor, and crunchy texture of Kurodaseri, simple dishes such as salad or bowls are best. It also goes well with spinach, and "Kuroda Seri and Spinach Ohitashi" is a popular home-style dish.Since Japanese parsley has a peculiar taste, it is best to make it with a larger proportion of spinach (7 parts spinach to 3 parts parsley). If refrigerated, it can be stored for about a week, making it easy to use. If celeri is not available, mitsuba can be used as a substitute.When boiling, do not overboil to retain the crunchiness. Do not overcook in a pot, and boil it quickly.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The production of "Kuroda Seri" is decreasing, and most of it is consumed within the prefecture. Matsue City is promoting efforts to find new growers in order to preserve the traditional vegetable.
## Ingredients
- Kuroda Seri (commercially available Seri can be used): 60g
- Spinach: 140g
- Dashi stock: 90cc
- Mirin (sweet cooking sake): 15cc
- Light soy sauce: 15cc
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the celeriac and spinach roots, wash them quickly, and cut them into 4 or 5 cm lengths.
2. 2. Boil celeriac and spinach in a pot of boiling water, remove from heat and squeeze out the juice.
3. 3. Soak overnight in soup stock with seasonings.
## Provider Information
provider : Kiyozazu Nakamoto, Executive Vice President, Shimane Culinary Association
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# Kujira gohan ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kujira gohan
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Iwami area (Hamada City, Masuda City, etc.)
## Main Ingredients Used
Whale skin, rice, radish, burdock root, shiitake mushrooms, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
Hamada City and Masuda City are located in the western part of Shimane Prefecture, facing the Sea of Japan. Iwami Sanda, which includes both cities and Ota, is the main city of the Iwami region. Both cities have thriving fishing industries. Hamada City has grown as a core fishing ground in the San'in region since the end of World War II, increasing its production through offshore trawl and purse seine fisheries. At its peak in 1990, the city landed approximately 200,000 tons of fish. Masuda City promotes a "cultivate and nurture" fishing industry. The city of Masuda promotes a "create and nurture" fishery, releasing abalone fry and flatfish fry and focusing on their cultivation.Whale rice, rice cooked with whale skin, has long been eaten in both cities. It was eaten on Setsubun day to pray that children would "become a big fish in the future," in honor of the giant whale.In the early Showa period (1926-1989), in this snowy region, households would buy large quantities of whale skin and pickle it in salt. This shows that the culture of eating whale was deeply rooted in the region.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Whale is a local dish that appears on family tables in winter. It is eaten on Setsubun in the hope that the fish will become as big as a whale. The day following Setsubun falls on Risshun (first day of spring), but the whale oil warms the body during this still cold season.
## How to Eat
Whale, also known as "gibier of the sea" or "marine beef," is highly nutritious and rich in flavor. The "tail meat" is like marbled meat, the "red meat" of the back and belly is soft and unctuous, and the "skin" of the fatty layer is eaten as a delicacy. Because of its high oil content, it is used in various dishes such as rice cooked with rice, sukiyaki style with winter vegetables ("heka" in the Iwami region), and with vinegared miso dressing after the oil has been thoroughly drained. When removing the oil, thinly sliced whale is dipped in boiling water to remove the oil, but the important point is to turn off the heat.The first step in cooking whale rice is to pour boiling water over the skin of the whale to remove excess oil. Once the oil is removed, the chopped whale is stir-fried with daikon radish, gobo (burdock root), shiitake mushrooms, etc., and seasoned with soy sauce. Mix this with freshly cooked rice and it is ready to serve. In addition to mixing them in, you can also cook the whale with various vegetables and rice. When cooking frozen whale at home, it is best to thaw it naturally in a refrigerated room. Since it cooks quickly, be careful not to overcook it.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
When the season is near, whale is sold at fresh fish corners of supermarkets and direct sales stores. In addition, as part of dietary education, whale appears at educational institutions as part of hands-on training in making local cuisine.
## Ingredients
- rice: 2 cups
- White whale: 100 g
- burdock root: 50g
- carrot: 50g
- radish: 50g
- konjac: 50g
- soy sauce: 1 tbsp.
- sake: 1 tbsp.
- salt: 1／2 tsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Cut whale into strips and pour boiling water over them to remove excess oil.
2. 2. Whisper burdock root and soak in water. Cut konnyaku and carrot into small pieces, and daikon into strips.
3. 3. Add the same amount of water as boiled rice, 1, 2, and seasonings to the rice and cook.
4. 4. When finished cooking, give it a quick stir.
## Provider Information
provider : Shimane Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Council
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# Bakudan onigiri ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Bakudan onigiri
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Izumo region, Oki region
## Main Ingredients Used
iwanori seaweed, rice
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The Oki Islands are an archipelago in the northeast of Shimane Prefecture, consisting of four main islands and more than 180 smaller islands. The area is 346.22 km2, and the coastline extends 468 km.Surrounded by the sea, the Oki Islands produce a wide variety of seaweed. In winter, seaweeds such as laver and arame are harvested, and in spring, tengusa and hijiki are harvested.From December to February, when the northerly winds blow, the rock seaweed fishing begins. Aiming for calm days when the sea surface is still, the fishermen gather on the rocks at the water's edge and carefully gather the seaweed that has grown on the rocks. This "nori picking" has become a winter tradition in Oki.The rock seaweed harvested in Oki has a reputation for being thick, crunchy, and fragrant. After harvesting, the seaweed is pre-treated to remove pebbles and other debris, and then processed into laver sheets. Most of the seaweed is consumed locally, but some is distributed in and out of the prefecture. It is also an indispensable ingredient in the "iwanori zoni" (a traditional Oki delicacy), and is an essential ingredient for the New Year's holiday.Bakudan-onigiri" is a popular lunch box or snack that makes lavish use of iwanori. The name "bakudan" is derived from the appearance of the large, round rice ball covered with iwanori seaweed.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Iwanori is harvested during the fishing season and stored dry for the entire year, making it available year-round. Bakudan Onigiri" is eaten daily as a snack for children and as a staple in lunch boxes, and is well-loved by the local people.
## How to Eat
Lightly grill iwanori seaweed to a slightly green color, then brush one side with soy sauce and roll the soy sauce side into a rice ball. Some onigiri may contain ingredients, but most are simple and without any ingredients. Even if there are no ingredients, the flavor of the iwanori seaweed is enough to make the onigiri worth eating. When you bite into it, the mouth is filled with the rich aroma of the sea.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It is eaten by ordinary households on a daily basis. In addition, it can be purchased inexpensively at local side dish shops, cafeterias, and supermarkets. In Oki, seaweed salt is extracted from seawater in which seaweed arame is soaked, and the cultivation of "seaweed salt rice," which is grown by spreading this salt, is being promoted. Bakudan onigiri" made from this salt-algal rice is popular among tourists as a way to fully enjoy the bounty of Oki.
## Ingredients
- a bowl of rice: 2 cups
- rock seaweed: 1 sheet
- soy sauce: 1 tsp or more
## Recipe
1. 1. Divide the gohan into two parts and roll into a ball like a bakudan to make onigiri.
2. 2. Roast the iwanori over the flame of a gas stove. The standard color of the iwanori should be about the same as the color of the rice balls, which should turn slightly green. You may also use a fish grill to ensure that the iwanori is evenly cooked all the way to the edges.
3. 3. Cut the roasted iwanori in half and dip one side in soy sauce. Place the soy sauce-soaked side over the rice ball and wrap it up.
## Provider Information
provider : Shimane Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Council
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# Kakinamasu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Kakinamasu
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
All over the prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Dried persimmons, radishes (or turnips), carrots, etc.
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The Saijo persimmon, produced throughout the prefecture, is the representative persimmon of Shimane Prefecture. It is often harvested in Shimane Prefecture because of the combination of the sea breeze, temperature, and red soil of the Sea of Japan. Saijo persimmons originated in the Saijo district of Higashihiroshima City in Hiroshima Prefecture and are widely spread throughout the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. Because they are grown without the use of any herbicides, they must be carefully managed throughout the year, but this makes them fat and exceptionally sweet.The persimmon has a unique shape with four grooves and a smooth texture. The name "kozuchi" is derived from its resemblance to the "uchide no kozuchi" (small hammer) of Okuninushi no Mikoto, the deity of Izumo-taisha Shrine, which is why it is branded as such.Originally an astringent persimmon, after the astringency is removed, it becomes meltingly sweet with a sugar content of over 17 degrees. The flesh is so dense that the center becomes jelly-like. In the past, persimmons were soaked in shochu to remove the astringency, but now persimmons are placed in bags filled with dry ice to remove the astringency. Saijo persimmons are suitable for drying, and drying further concentrates the sugar content.Hamada City holds the top position in the production of Saijo persimmons. In the early Showa period, persimmon trees could be seen everywhere in the village. Fresh persimmons are shipped from early October to mid-November. After that, persimmon harvesting begins before the cold weather sets in, and the persimmons are dried and processed. In addition to dried persimmons, various other ways of eating persimmons have been handed down, including awashi persimmons soaked in hot water to remove the astringency, pickled persimmons made by pickling raw persimmons in salt, and, in an unusual twist, tempura persimmons. One of these is "kakinamasu," dried persimmons made into a vinegared dish.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Kakinamasu is considered a festive dish because of the red color of the dried persimmons and carrots and the white color of the daikon radish and turnip, and is popular as one of the staple dishes at festive banquets and New Year's.
## How to Eat
The classic dish of namasu with carrots and daikon (or turnip) is a classic, but adding persimmons adds a gentle sweetness and a bright color to the dish.Mix dried persimmons cut into bite-size pieces with thinly sliced daikon radish and boiled carrots, then season with vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and other seasonings. Store in the refrigerator for a while to allow the flavors to blend before serving. Dried persimmons should be well dried.It is also delicious to eat raw persimmons in a vinegared dish. In the case of raw persimmons, only persimmons and daikon or turnips are needed, as they are brightly colored and can be substituted for carrots. The flavor can be enhanced by garnishing with yuzu peel.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of those who have passed on the persimmon, preservation groups, use of SNS, modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)Since the number of people eating persimmons has been decreasing in recent years, the local JA is working with producer groups and the prefecture to promote the persimmon. Saijo persimmon-eating events are held at elementary and junior high schools in the prefecture.
## Ingredients
- radish: 200g
- carrot: 1／4 carrot
- [Brine] Water: 3 cups
- Salt: 1 tbsp.
- dried persimmon: 1 piece
- [A] vinegar: 1 tbsp.
- [A] salt: A pinch
- [A] sugar: 1 tbsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Peel radish and cut into thin strips 5 cm long and 1 cm wide.
2. 2. Put the daikon and carrot in a bowl of salted water and add the daikon and carrot to the water and let them wilt.
3. 3. Cut dried persimmons into 2 equal pieces lengthwise, remove seeds, and cut into thin strips.
4. 4. When 2 is softened, squeeze well.
5. 5. Combine seasonings in A, add 3 and 4, and let the flavors blend well.
## Provider Information
provider : Shimane Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Council
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# Takenoko sanshouni(simmered bamboo shoots with Japanese pepper) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Takenoko sanshouni(simmered bamboo shoots with Japanese pepper)
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Eastern region (Shimada area)
## Main Ingredients Used
bamboo shoots, sansho (Japanese pepper)
## History, Origin, and Related Events
The Shimada area was mostly surrounded by mountains and could not produce enough rice. A man named Ichirobe Yasumatsu, who was aware of this environment, cultivated the mountains and forests in 1846 (Koka 3). He moved the moso bamboo from Kiyomizu Temple in the town and began to increase the number of mother bamboos. The red clay soil encouraged the growth of Ichirobei's bamboo shoots, which grew quickly. Bamboo shoot cultivation spread to neighboring farmers, and soon "Shimada bamboo shoots" established an unshakeable position as a specialty product.Shimada bamboo shoots have fine fibers and soft flesh. The secret lies in the soil. Bamboo shoots grown in hard soil are tough, but those grown in the soil of the Shimada area, which has been cultivated by our ancestors, are soft. Shimada bamboo shoots grow deep in the ground. Traditionally, a pickaxe is used to dig bamboo shoots, but Shimada bamboo shoots are dug using a metal rod more than 1 meter long.Around 1975 (late 1970), 700 to 800 tons of bamboo shoots were harvested per season, but due to a lack of successors among farmers, the amount has decreased to a few dozen tons. Nevertheless, the popularity of bamboo shoots has not waned, and they are supplied both inside and outside of the prefecture.Local people are also familiar with bamboo shoots. Various dishes such as "bamboo shoot sansho nimono" (bamboo shoot simmered with Japanese pepper), "bamboo shoot rice," and stir-fried bamboo shoots are served on the dinner table.
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Shimada bamboo shoots reach their peak from around April to June (bamboo shoots in other areas are harvested from late April to early May). Demand from outside the prefecture is high, but a portion is supplied to the local market.Many people, even those not in the Shimada area, dig bamboo shoots in their own gardens or in neighboring bamboo groves. In addition to being consumed for their own use, some people sell them privately to earn extra income.
## How to Eat
Bamboo shoots can be simply cooked in a broth with dried bonito flakes, as in "Tosa-ni" (Tosa stew). To make sansho nimono, stew the fish in a broth made of bonito stock, light soy sauce, sake, and mirin (sweet cooking sake). You may also add some Japanese pepper as an accent. Put the dried bonito flakes in a strainer and add oigatsuo to enhance the flavor and taste.Since preparation of bamboo shoots is time-consuming, you may use boiled bamboo shoots in water.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the people who have passed down the tradition, preservation groups, use of SNS, and modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)During the season, restaurants serve stewed Shimada bamboo shoots. Some families dig bamboo shoots for their own use, and it has taken root in the local community as a taste of spring.
## Ingredients
- bamboo shoot: 1 piece
- Bonito soup stock: 360cc
- dried bonito flakes: Appropriate amount
- Seeds of sansho (Japanese pepper): 20g
- sake: 2 tbsp.
- Leaves of sansho (Japanese pepper): 1 leaf
- mirin (sweet cooking sake): 2 tbsp.
- light soy sauce: 2 tbsp.
## Recipe
1. 1. Boil bamboo shoots to remove the roughness and cut into 5 cm strips.
2. 2. Combine bonito broth and seasonings, add bamboo shoots and bring to a boil.
3. 3. After boiling down a little, add the dried bonito flakes to the cloth and simmer slowly.
4. 4. When water content is reduced, place on a plate and garnish with sansho (Japanese pepper) leaves.
## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provided by : Mr. Masaru Morii, Executive Director, Shimane Culinary Association
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# Azuki-zoni ｜ Our Regional Cuisines
**Cuisine Name**: Azuki-zoni
**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines
## Main Lore Areas
Eastern area of the prefecture
## Main Ingredients Used
Red beans, round rice cake
## History, Origin, and Related Events
There is a zoni in which rice cakes are put into azuki beans simmered for a little less sweetness. On New Year's Day, people eat "Sumashi-zoni" with iwanori seaweed in it, and in some areas they start eating "Azuki-zoni" on January 2. There is a tradition of using round rice cakes. This zoni is characterized by its light sweetness in comparison to “Zenzai” or “Oshiruko” (sweet azuki bean soup), although it looks similar in appearance to them. The tenth month of the old calendar in the Izumo region is the month of Kamiari-zuki, when the gods gather from all over the country. “Azuki-zoni” was served as "Jinzai-mochi” during the "Kamiari-sai" ritual held during this period. It is said that "Jinzai-mochi” is the origin of the word "Zenzai".
## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
"Azuki Zoni" was made using wakamizu (water drawn for the first time on New Year's Day) offered by the patriarch of the family to the local deity. Two rice cakes are served in a bowl. Zoni also serves as an offering, and the bowl is offered without changing during the three days of the New Year.Azuki beans are also used in the zoni because a single pod can yield many beans, which is a symbolic wish for the prosperity of one's offspring.Around Lake Shinshiko, azuki beans were often used to make an an (sweet red bean paste) or to add to "sekihan (red rice)".
## How to Eat
To avoid crushing the azuki grains, make the dish light and refreshing.Put azuki beans in a pot filled with plenty of water and simmer slowly over low heat. When the azuki grains are crushed, add sugar and adjust the sweetness to your liking. At this point, a pinch of salt may be added to taste.Some households add soup stock when simmering azuki. Since azuki is cooked with less sweetness, sugar may be added to taste after serving in bowls. The red beans are seasoned with miso or soy sauce according to the family's preference.As in the case of "sumashi zoni," round rice cakes are generally used. If the rice cake is boiled separately from the soup, it is easier to eat without becoming too soft.
## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The "Lake Shinji West Bank Rural Improvement Promotion Council" is working to establish Izumo azuki as a new crop for promotion. It aims to improve the quality of azuki beans by providing opportunities for exchange with producers in Kyoto Prefecture. In 2018 (Heisei 30), the "Azuki Mini Summit in Izumo" was held in Izumo City with the aim of raising the production motivation of producers.There are also examples of azuki cultivation and product development by local high schools that have been selected as designated schools for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Project to Promote High School Education Reform in Collaboration with the Local Community.
## Ingredients
- Azuki beans: 100 g
- sugar: 80 g
- salt: 1／4 tsp.
- water: 1000cc
- Round rice cake: 8 pieces
## Recipe
1. 1. Put azuki beans in water and simmer over medium heat until water comes to a boil, then reduce heat to low just before the water comes to a boil.
2. 2. When the beans become soft, add sugar and simmer for about 20 minutes while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
3. 3. Add the rice cakes to the second pot and cook until softened. If the rice cake is too hard, boil it in hot water for a while.
## Provider Information
provider : Shimane Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Council
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