[Aomori Prefecture] Is Aomori's sekihan sweet and pink? Introducing the reason, origin, and two types of sekihan recipes

One of the things that surprises people from Aomori Prefecture when they go to other prefectures sekihan is not sweet .

When I think of sekihan, I think of it as something sweet and pink, but nationwide, red bean-colored sekihan is common.

Why is Aomori prefecture's sekihan so sweet and bright pink?

This time, we looked into why Aomori prefecture's sekihan is so sweet and pink, and the origins of it. We will also introduce two sekihan recipes that are actually made in Aomori Prefecture, so please take a look.

Why is Aomori prefecture's sekihan so sweet? Explain the reason and origin

Why is Aomori prefecture's sekihan so sweet? I will explain the reason and origin.

People from Aomori Prefecture, especially those from Tsugaru, are said to like sweet things.

For example, sugar is added to natto, tomatoes, and pickled plums, and chawanmushi is usually sweetened with candied chestnuts. Inari sushi is also sweet and filled with rice dyed bright pink with red ginger juice.

Because of the prefecture's love for sweets, Aomori Prefecture has long enjoyed sweet sekihan.

It was a hospitality dish that used precious sugar.

Sugar began to be widely distributed in the mid-Meiji period, and was considered a valuable commodity in the northern Tohoku region. Sugar was only used during Obon and New Year's holidays, and it was rarely used in regular meals.

Therefore, using plenty of sugar was considered the highest level of hospitality, and sweet dishes made with large amounts of sugar were considered a delicacy.

Sekihan is a hospitality dish that is eaten at celebratory occasions such as Obon and New Year. The reason why sekihan has been seasoned sweetly may be due to the spirit of hospitality.

Because it was introduced from Hokkaido

Aomori Prefecture is not the only place to eat sweet sekihan. In fact, Sekihan from Hokkaido is also sweeter and has an even darker pink color than the one from Aomori Prefecture.

There is a recipe for Aomori Sekihan that uses amanatto, but apparently the inventor of sekihan using amanatto was a Hokkaido cooking expert (Akiko Nanbu, November 3, 1920 – June 4, 1994) . She invented sekihan using amanatto as a way to make it easy and delicious for busy families.

Traditional red rice using red beans requires a lot of time and effort, such as boiling the red beans and steaming the red rice in a steamer. On the other hand, sekihan made with amanatto does not require the hassle of boiling the beans, and can be cooked in a rice cooker since it is a mixture of sticky rice and regular rice.

Due to its ease of use, sekihan made with amanatto was widely distributed in Hokkaido, and even in Aomori, which had exchanges with Hokkaido, amanatto sekihan was also distributed. It is said that the original sekihan made with amanatto is not sweet, but it is probably because Aomori people who like sweets gradually changed it to sweet sekihan.

Why is Aomori Sekihan pink?

Compared to traditional sekihan, Aomori prefecture's sekihan is bright pink, and pink sekihan corners appear in supermarkets during Obon and Higan.

If you look into the reason why Aomori's sekihan is pink, you'll find that there's a secret to the recipe.

Sekihan, which is widely eaten throughout the country, is made by cooking the rice in boiled red bean soup, resulting in a slightly brownish red bean color. However, since the sekihan eaten in Aomori Prefecture uses amanatto, it cannot be colored with red bean broth like traditional sekihan.

So, what do you use to color sekihan made with amanatto? It's food coloring. Because the color is artificially added, the sekihan is pink in color.

Is it true that the sekihan sold at convenience stores in Aomori is sweet?

If the sekihan in Aomori Prefecture is sweet, does that mean the sekihan sold at convenience stores is also sweet?

I suddenly wondered, so I tried comparing sekihan from three major convenience stores.

As you can see from the package, Lawson's sekihan was sweet, and the other two were salty sekihan without sweetness. Looking at the ingredients, only Lawson's sekihan uses sugar, while Family Mart and 7-Eleven do not contain any sugar.

As someone who has been used to eating sweet sekihan since I was a child, Lawson's sekihan was delicious, but people from other prefectures may be surprised.

Introducing two types of sweet sekihan recipes made in Aomori Prefecture

We will introduce the ingredients and how to make two types of sweet sekihan made in Aomori Prefecture. This recipe can be made in a rice cooker, so please give it a try.

Sekihan using red beans

Ingredients (for 3-4 people)

• Sticky rice…1.5 go
• Rice…1.5 go
• Azuki…80g
• Zara…5 to 6 tablespoons (please adjust to your preference)
• Salt...1-2 teaspoons (adjust to your preference)

How to make

1. Wash the glutinous rice and soak it in water for about 1 to 2 hours.

2. Place the beans in a pot and add water until they are submerged. Heat over medium heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and discard the cooking water. Put the red beans in the pot again and boil in 600cc of water for about 30 minutes. Once it's hard enough to crush with your fingers, turn off the heat and let it stand until it cools down.

Four.
Once cooled, separate the broth and red beans. *Never throw away the broth, as it will be used when cooking the rice.

Five. Fill the rice cooker with the glutinous rice, granulated rice, salt, and red bean broth up to the mark. Place the red beans on top and cook the rice.

6. Once the rice is cooked, steam it and sprinkle with sesame salt to your liking.

Sekihan using amanatto

material

• Sticky rice…1.5 go
• Rice…1.5 go
• Amanatto…one bag
• White sugar…2-3 tablespoons
• Salt…1 teaspoon
• Food coloring… just a little bit

How to make

1. Wash the glutinous rice and soak it in water for about 1 to 2 hours.

2.
Put the glutinous barley, rice, white sugar, salt, and food coloring in a rice cooker, add water to just below the 3 cup mark, and bring to the boil. *Food coloring tends to stain, so you only need a little bit.

3. When the rice is cooked, add the amanatto and let it steam for about 20 minutes.

Four. Finish by sprinkling black sesame seeds or sesame salt to your liking.

summary

This time, we introduced the reason and origin of Aomori Prefecture's sekihan, which is sweet and pink. Aomori's sweet sekihan is a hospitality dish made with precious sugar, and is a local flavor born from the prefecture's fondness for sweets and its interaction with Hokkaido.

We have also introduced two recipes that are easy to make, so if you are interested, please try them out during the New Year.