[Akita Prefecture] What is salad agar that you must try at least once when you go to Akita? ? Introducing flavors and types that you can't tell from the name alone

Akita Prefecture has a lot of delicious food. Most of them are loved by tourists from outside the prefecture and are purchased as souvenirs.

Do you know about ``Salad Agar'', which stands out among Akita's specialties?

It was featured on a TV program a few years ago, and I think many people were surprised by its appearance and taste, which cannot be found in other prefectures. Salad agar may be surprising to people from other prefectures, but it is the ``soul food of Akita residents'' and is eaten as a matter of course, especially in the Yokote City area.

In this article, we will introduce the salad agar that can be eaten in Akita. Where can I buy it? Is it something that can be easily made at home? I will explain in detail how to make it.

Akita prefecture's soul food "Salad agar"

Source: Akita Prefecture official tourism website “Akita Fan”

When you think of Akita's specialties, you think of Hinai chicken, Inaniwa udon, local sake, Babahera ice cream, and many other foods that are popular not only within the prefecture but also with tourists from outside the prefecture.

This time I would like to introduce to you "Salad Agar".

salad? Agar? What about the seaweed in your salad? You may think so, but it's all a mistake.

Salad agar is a dish made by solidifying a salad (like macaroni salad) with agar, and it is difficult to describe as a snack or side dish that contains a lot of sugar.

Its appearance is the color of a salad (milky white), so it looks like milk agar, but it is actually agar that contains salad.

Isn't that a salad? Isn't it agar? Mysterious food that people from other prefectures cannot understand

``Salad agar'' is neither salad nor agar, but is salad agar, and is considered a soul food that has been eaten around Yokote City since ancient times.

Is everything around Yokote City hardened with agar?

Salad agar is a beloved food in Akita Prefecture and around Yokote City, and when you travel you will see salad agar everywhere. It is so commonplace that anyone who has heard of salad agar will be surprised to find that it is actually sold everywhere.

Salad agar is basically made with salad, but it seems that a ``agar culture'' has developed in which anything is hardened with agar.

What is “agar culture”?

``Agar culture'' is literally a culture that uses agar for everything. Agar is generally used in yokan, jelly, and tokoroten.

The people of Akita, who love salad agar, aren't satisfied with just salad, so they put everything, even Akita's specialty, into salad agar.

I actually saw some salad agar at my local supermarket.

• Yokote Yakisoba x Agar
• Egg x agar
• Walnut x agar

Seeing these made me realize how great agar culture is (actually, I didn't have the courage to buy one...).

grandma's taste

It may be a surprising food for people outside the prefecture, but for people around Yokote, it is familiar as ``grandma's taste.''

When I go to my grandma's house, I heard that salad agar is served with pickles and other things, and is eaten as part of a tea ceremony. Although there is a basic taste, each family has their own taste, and each family also has different things to put in the agar.

When people who have gone out of the prefecture return home and eat salad agar, they probably think, ``Wow, I'm back.''

Did salad agar suddenly become famous on TV?

Until then, salad agar had been a hidden specialty of Mizunomi, Akita Prefecture.

When and how did it become a national presence?

Salad agar goes nationwide on “Kenmin Show”

It was Nippon Television's popular program ``Secret Kenmin Show'' that made salad agar nationally popular.

At first, people who saw it doubted whether it was really delicious, but when they tasted it, the sweetness combined with the sourness of the salad made it very delicious, and it became very popular.

After that, it became a hot topic on social media and became an Akita specialty known throughout the country.

How to make and eat delicious salad agar?

It seems that salad agar is not just for solidifying salads.

We will introduce basic salad agar and variations of salad agar.

How to make basic salad agar

Speaking of salad, it's mayonnaise! Although it is not, Kewpie also has a recipe for agar potato salad, so I would like to introduce it to you.

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• 1 small potato
• 1/8 cucumber
• carrot 1cm
• Powdered agar 4g
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 200ml water
• Kewpie mayonnaise 2 teaspoons

How to make

1. After washing the potatoes, wrap them in dry parchment paper, wrap them loosely in plastic wrap, heat them in the microwave (600W) for about 3 minutes, peel them and mash them with a fork.
2. Cut the cucumber into rounds. Peel the carrots, cut them into pieces, wrap them in plastic wrap, and heat them in the microwave (600W) for about 30 seconds.
3. Add ② and ③ to ①, mix everything with mayonnaise, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Put water and powdered agar in a pot, heat, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to prevent boiling over, and simmer for about 1 minute, stirring with a spatula.
5. Add more sugar and dissolve.
6. Add ④ to ⑤ and mix.
7. Pour ⑥ into a vat, and when it cools down and hardens, cool it in the refrigerator and cut it into squares.

You can also make delicious potato salad with store-bought potato salad. If using store-bought potato salad, add mayonnaise to taste.

Reference: Kewpie (special recipe/agar potato salad)

Variations of salad agar

There are many variations of salad agar. Salad agar can be made in various ways at home, so there are many variations of salad agar.

• egg agar
• Udon agar
• Yokote Yakisoba Agar
• sweet potato agar

Udon agar is made by solidifying udon noodles with agar, and sweet potato agar is similar to sweet potato yokan. Everything looks delicious.

Where can I buy salad agar?

I want to try salad agar when I go to Akita! I'm sure many of you thought so. Salad agar can be purchased at roadside stations that sell side dishes, tourist product centers, and supermarkets.

You can also eat it at local restaurants and cafeterias, and it may come as a side dish with a small bowl, but it doesn't always come with salad agar.

Locals also buy it, so you may not always be able to buy salad agar wherever you go, but check it out.

If you go to Akita Prefecture, check out Salad Agar

I introduced salad agar, which is said to be Akita's soul food.

Salad agar is a food that is not found in other regions, but it is still loved as a grandma's taste and a homely taste.

It is a food that is rarely seen outside the prefecture, so please come to Akita and try the salad agar.