[Aomori Prefecture] Introducing the origins and recipes of two Aomori Prefecture local dishes you'll want to eat in winter: "Keno-jiru" and "Tara no roe salad."

Aomori Prefecture has many local dishes, but did you know that two winter dishes are "Keno-jiru" and "Tara no roe salad"? We will introduce the origins and recipes of each local dish

The origin of Kenojiru

The name is said to have come from the fact that in the Aomori dialect, "kayu" (rice porridge) is pronounced "ke," and the name "ke no jiru" is a corrupted version of "kayu no shiru" (rice porridge soup)

There are various theories about the origin of this dish, including that during the time when rice was a precious commodity, vegetables and other ingredients were finely chopped and simmered to resemble rice, and that during the Warring States period, soldiers added mashed soybeans to whatever vegetables they had on hand and simmered them to eat

Originally a dish for the Little New Year, it was prepared in advance by a daughter-in-law who, after being busy entertaining guests and taking care of her family, would return to her parents' home for the Little New Year, and was treasured as a nutritious preserved food.It
is also sometimes called "Tsugaru no Nanakusa-gayu" (Tsugaru's Seven Herbs Rice Porridge) as a vegetarian dish eaten during the Little New Year, and in some areas it is made with only seven ingredients.

In 2003, the Tsugaru Kenojiru Preservation Society was established with the aim of spreading awareness of Kenojiru locally

What kind of dish is kenojiru?

It is made by simmering finely diced ingredients such as daikon radish, carrots, burdock, bracken, butterbur, freeze-dried tofu, and deep-fried tofu until soft, then adding zunda (mashed soybeans) and seasoning it with miso.
Kenojiru is characterized by the generous use of ingredients, but each region and household uses different ingredients, seasonings, and cutting methods, resulting in each "homemade flavor."
Kenojiru is made by simmering a large amount of ingredients in a large pot, then transferring them to small pots and reheating them multiple times over the course of several days, and the flavor deepens each time it is reheated - this is the charm of Kenojiru.

Boiled packs for kenojiru are sold at supermarkets

Kenojiru requires the fine chopping of many ingredients, which is time-consuming, so the number of households making it has been declining.
However, in recent years, the ingredients for Kenojiru, including finely chopped vegetables and mountain plants, have begun to be sold in supermarkets in boiled packs.

Using this boiled rice pack, you can easily make soup without any hassle

Kenojiru recipe

We will introduce the ingredients and how to make Kenojiru

material

• Japanese white radish
• carrot
• Burdock
• Boiled bracken
• Boiled butterbur
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Koya tofu (rehydrated in water)
• fried tofu
• Miso or soy sauce
• Kelp for dashi
• Zunda (crushed boiled soybeans)

How to make

1. Dice the vegetables, wild vegetables, freeze-dried tofu, and fried tofu into 5-7mm cubes
2. Put the kelp stock and 1 into a pot and boil until soft. (Granulated stock is also fine.)
3. Add the softened zundan, season with miso or soy sauce, bring to a boil and it's done

Add the root vegetables first and skim off any scum that appears

In the photo, I used miso paste

It's packed with ingredients and is good for your body

The origin of cod roe salad

Cod is a fish that is in season in winter, and cod fishing has been popular in Mutsu Bay since ancient times. For this reason, cod was an essential part of New Year's celebrations in Aomori Prefecture. Until around 1945, it was common to see people buying a whole large cod at the end of the year and dragging it down the road.
At the time, cod was a precious winter ingredient and was eaten as a New Year's treat.
Not only the flesh, but also the head, backbone, and other parts were simmered with daikon radish to make "jappa soup," and the cod roe was cooked with carrots and other ingredients to make "taranoko ae" or preserved with light salt, so that every last bit of the fish was eaten.

Cod roe salad has been popular since ancient times, as the bright orange color of the carrots is considered to be a lucky charm

What kind of dish is cod roe salad?

This dish is made by frying and mixing Pacific cod roe with carrots and frozen tofu.
It is considered a New Year's dish, but is also a common home-cooked meal eaten during the winter.
You can also use salted cod roe (Alaska pollack) instead of Pacific cod roe.

Cod roe salad recipe

We will introduce the ingredients and how to make cod roe salad

material

• carrot
• Frozen tofu
• Konjac noodles
• green onions
•  Alcohol
• soy sauce
• Dashi stock
• salad oil

How to make

1. Julienne the carrots or slice them. Rehydrate the freeze-dried tofu in water and cut into thin strips. Parboil the konnyaku noodles, drain them in a colander, and cut them into bite-sized pieces
2. Chop the green onions into small pieces
3. Fry 1 in salad oil
4. Add the sake and dashi stock
5. Once boiling, add the cod roe and break it up with chopsticks
6. Mix everything well, add soy sauce to adjust the flavor, and finally add green onions and it's done 

Make sure the carrots are not too soft

Loosen the cod roe with chopsticks and remove the skin

The flavor will become stronger as it cools, so be careful not to add too much soy sauce

It goes perfectly with rice

summary

Kenojiru is a healthy dish that contains many ingredients and provides nutrients such as dietary fiber and protein in one dish. It warms the body and warms the soul.
In addition, cod roe dressing allows you to enjoy the seasonal winter flavors and is a dish that goes well with alcohol. Even people who don't like carrots will find it delicious.
Both dishes are easy to make, so why not give them a try this winter?