[Yamagata Prefecture] Summer food in Yamagata | Water-dried rice is the best even in the intense heat or late summer heat!

  • ikoke
  • Last updated: 2024.04.5

When it's hot, your appetite also decreases.

Did you know that there is a super easy meal that you can easily eat even on the hottest days?

It was introduced on a certain TV program in the past... I'm sorry to say this, but I remember being introduced to it as something like "poor food."

but! However, it was actually the ultimate meal. That's why I was introduced to `` Mizukake Gohan,'' . to the ``Ultimate Water Sprinkled Rice'' that won't make you feel like you don't have an appetite ” I would like to introduce you to. By the time you finish reading it, you'll want to eat it right away! That's what I think.

A truly poor meal!

Plain white rice and water? ice! That's all there is to it.

If you don't know how to make it, you may feel like this is the only thing you can eat.

Green vegetable rice with water
Green vegetable rice with water

But it's not because I'm poor. It makes sense as a way to eat during hot weather .

In addition, Yamagata Prefecture is blessed with delicious water and rice, and the high summer temperatures have made ``Mizukake Gohan'' popular.

It's a wonderful luxury meal.

What is the origin of mizukake gohan? Yamagata's local cuisine?

Looking at the images will make you want to eat again even if you just had a meal!

The origin of mizukake gohan is said to be, ``In the old days, boiled rice easily stuck to rice cookers, so it was a waste of rice, so we poured water into the rice cooker and ate it with the water.''

It's a way of eating that originated from the wisdom of not wasting even a single grain of rice

ice chazuke
ice chazuke

Originally, the cold rice left in the pot was eaten by pouring hot water in the winter and cold water in the summer, and eating all the sticky rice. Furthermore, in the summer heat, when one's appetite is low, the ultimate meal is to wash the rice before eating to remove the stickiness and make it easier to eat.

In terms of ways to eat rice that is stuck to the pot, it is something that households all over the country do on a daily basis.

Yamagata Prefecture, located in Tohoku, had the highest temperature in the country It probably became established in the inland areas.

How to make the ultimate rice with water

The simple way to make rice with water is to sprinkle water on the rice. And eat. But there are several steps to get there.

It's nothing special and can be done in no time, but is that you wash the freshly cooked rice

How to make

  • Cook rice as usual
  • Take out the amount of freshly cooked food in a colander.
  • Wash gently under running water (tap water is OK)
  • Finally, quickly soak the colander in a bowl filled with natural water, then drain the water.
  • Serve in a small bowl and top with 2 to 3 ice cubes and natural water.

*We also recommend adding pickled vegetables, flaked grilled salmon, sesame seeds, etc. to your liking.

Traditional Yamagata food to survive the summer

Yamagata soup stock rice
photo by ikoke

Dashi is a summer staple in Yamagata and is now famous nationwide as an accompaniment to rice .

Tohoku Rokken trivia media: NEFT
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Tohoku Rokken trivia media: NEFT
https://jp.neft.asia/archives/30093
NEFT is a web media that provides all kinds of information about the six prefectures of Tohoku, including sightseeing and gourmet spots, the local area, customs, and history.
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Yamagata dashi ingredients
photo by ikoke

Just chop the summer vegetables into small pieces, mix them together and season with Shirodashi. The basic ingredients are cucumber and eggplant, and adding chopped yams, okra, and seasonings such as Japanese ginger and perilla leaves adds to the refreshing taste.

For those who don't like condiments or for children, cucumbers and eggplant alone are enough to make the meal delicious!
You can expect a sticky effect by adding yams or okra.

``Maru Eggplant Pickles'' , which is a favorite in the Okitama region ! Maybe.

Pickled whole eggplant
photo by ikoke

Summer food for everyone

The flavors and innovations of each home will whet your appetite!

Pickled rice bran
photo by ikoke

It's also a good idea to make bran pickles in a small, airtight glass container that can be stored in the refrigerator.

For variations of rice with water, add whatever you want to eat! It may be limited to.

summary

Yamagata's summer staple, the ultimate meal was ``Mizukake Gohan.'' Easy, fast, and delicious! You can eat it easily even when you don't have an appetite, so you don't have to worry about summer fatigue.

There are no special requirements, but chop the cucumber and eggplant, and chop other vegetables as you like. I would also like to try various other dishes such as pickled vegetables and grilled fish.

Washing the rice may seem like a luxurious way to eat it, but it's the perfect way to eat it in the summer when your appetite tends to drop, so give it a try!

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