[Aomori Prefecture] Introducing the origins and recipes of two Aomori Prefecture local dishes that you should try in winter: Kenojiru and cod roe dressing.

Aomori Prefecture has many local dishes, but did you know that winter-related dishes include ``keno soup'' and ``cod roe dressing''? We will introduce the roots and recipes of each local cuisine.

Origin of Kenojiru

The origin of the name is that in the Aomori dialect, ``kayu'' is pronounced ``ke'', so it is said that ``kayu no shiru'' was accented and became ``keno soup''. I am.

There are various theories, including one theory that during the time when rice was precious, vegetables and other ingredients were finely chopped and simmered to resemble rice, and that during the Warring States period, soldiers added ground soybeans to vegetables they had on hand and boiled them. there is.

It was originally a dish for the New Year's holidays, and it is said that wives who were busy with guests and caring for their families during the New Year's holidays would prepare it for their remaining families when they returned to their parents' homes for the New Year's holidays. It was valued as food.
In addition, it is sometimes called ``Tsugaru no Nanakusa Gayu'' as a Tsugaru vegetarian cuisine eaten during the New Year, and in some regions it is made with only seven types of ingredients.

In 2003, the Tsugaru Kenojiru Preservation Society was established for the purpose of promoting and educating the local community about Kenojiru.

www.hcci.or.jp

Link

Hirosaki Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tsugaru Kenojiru Preservation Society Homepage

http://www.hcci.or.jp/txt/kenosiru/

What kind of dish is Kenojiru?

It is made by stewing radish, carrot, burdock, bracken, butterbur, Koya tofu, fried tofu, etc. finely chopped into cubes until soft, adding ``zunda'' which is ground soybeans, and seasoning with miso etc.
Kenojiru is characterized by the use of plenty of ingredients, but each region and household uses different ingredients, seasonings, and ways of cutting, giving it its own "home taste."
The appeal of Kenojiru is that you boil a large amount of ingredients in a large pot, transfer it to a small pot, reheat it many times, and eat it over several days, and the flavor deepens each time you heat it up.

Boiled mushroom packs for mushroom soup are sold at supermarkets.

Because Kenojiru requires many ingredients to be finely chopped and is time-consuming, fewer households are making Kenojiru.
However, in recent years, mushroom soup ingredients made with finely chopped vegetables and wild plants have been sold in boiled packs at supermarkets.

By using this water boiling pack, you can easily make Kenojiru without any hassle.

Keno soup recipe

Introducing the ingredients and how to make Kenojiru.

material

• Japanese white radish
• carrot
• Burdock
• Boiled bracken
• Boiled butterbur
• Shiitake mushroom
• Koya tofu (rehydrated)
• fried tofu
• miso or soy sauce
• Kelp for dashi
• Zunda (boiled soybeans)

How to make

1. Cut the vegetables, wild plants, takaya tofu, and fried tofu into 5-7 mm dice.
2. Add stock from kelp and 1 to a pot and simmer until tender. (You can also use granule soup stock)
3. Add the softened zunda, season with miso or soy sauce, bring to a boil, and it's ready.

Add the root vegetables first and remove any scum that appears.

In the photo, I used miso.

It has plenty of ingredients and is gentle on the body.

Origin of cod roe dressing

Cod is a fish that is in season during the winter, and cod fishing has long been popular in Mutsu Bay.
For this reason, cod was essential for New Year's in Aomori Prefecture. Until around 1945, people could be seen buying a whole large cod at the end of the year and dragging it along the road. At that time, cod was a valuable winter ingredient and was eaten as a New Year's feast.
Not only the body but also the head and back bones are boiled with daikon radish to make ``jappa soup'', and the cod roe is cooked with carrots and other ingredients as ``cod roe dressing'' or preserved with sweet salt. It was eaten without any food.

The bright orange color of cod roe with carrots has been popular since ancient times as a lucky charm.

What kind of dish is cod roe dressing?

This is a dish made by roasting cod ovaries, carrots, frozen tofu, etc.
It is considered to be a New Year's dish, but it is also a home-cooked dish that can be eaten on a daily basis during the winter.
You can also use salted cod roe (Alaska pollack) instead of cod roe.

Cod roe dressing recipe

I will introduce the ingredients and how to make cod roe dressing.

material

• carrot
• frozen tofu
• Thread konjac
• Japanese leek
•  Liquor
• soy sauce
• Dashi soup
• Salad oil

How to make

1. Shred the carrots or slice them. Soak the Koya tofu in water and cut it into thin strips. Parboil the string konjac, drain it in a colander, and cut it into easy-to-eat lengths.
2. Cut the green onions into small pieces.
3. Fry 1 with salad oil.
4. Add sake and dashi stock.
5. When it boils, add the cod roe and loosen it with chopsticks.
6. Mix everything well, add soy sauce to taste, and finally add green onions and it's done. 

Don't make the carrots too soft.

Loosen the cod roe with chopsticks and remove the skin.

Be careful not to add too much soy sauce as the flavor will become stronger as it cools.

It's perfect with rice.

summary

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