Yamagata's "dashi" is a versatile and easy-to-make local dish that goes well with anything! [Yamagata Prefecture]

Dashi is a staple local summer dish from Yamagata that is now known nationwide, and it is no exaggeration to say so .

I love it and eat it two or three times a summer! However, thinking back on it, I it was a salad of finely chopped vegetables, and I didn't know the exact vegetables that were in it...

So, this time we will take a closer look at what "dashi" is!

What is "dashi"?

a local summer dish that allows you to easily eat raw vegetables, and is popular mainly in the Murayama region of Yamagata Prefecture, where the summer heat is intensely hot and humid .

When the heat makes you lose your appetite, this dish is made by chopping and mixing high-water summer vegetables with aromatic vegetables such as green shiso and myoga ginger, and seasoning it with soy sauce.Due to its ease of preparation, it has become popular as a quick dish to eat during the busy farming season

Because it's so easy to make - just finely chop and mix the vegetables - there are many variations, and it's said that every household has their own recipe, with as many different flavors as there are households . Eggplant, cucumber, green shiso, and myoga are common, but some people add ingredients like mountain yam or okra to make it more sticky, or use mentsuyu or dashi soy sauce instead of soy sauce, and the flavor can vary greatly depending on what you buy in the store.

The dashi stock made with standard ingredients is light and delicious, but I personally love the sticky dashi stock made with okra, which has even more flavor!

The origin of the name "Dashi"

The origin of the name "Dashi"

• called "dashi" because it brings out the flavor of other ingredients like dashi stock
• The word "dashi" comes from the fact that vegetables are cut into
• called "dashi" because it can be made quickly and easily by just chopping vegetables and seasoning them.

There seem to be various theories

How to make dashi

It's surprisingly easy to make

material

• Summer vegetables such as cucumbers and eggplants (other vegetables include onions, okra, and yams)
• Aromatic vegetables such as green shiso and myoga (also include green onions, ginger, green chili peppers, etc.)
• Others (natto, wakame seaweed, shredded kelp, etc.)
• Condiments (soy sauce, noodle soup, dashi soy sauce, etc.)

Since there are so many variations, there are no set ingredients. If you think, "This might be delicious if I mixed this together," don't hesitate to give it a try!

How to make it

1. Coarsely chop all the prepared vegetables

2. If you are concerned about bitterness, soak the product in water to remove the bitterness and drain the water

3. Mix everything together and adjust the flavor with a small amount of water, soy sauce, and noodle soup base

4. Serve in a bowl and you're done!

If you make a large batch and store it, it will last 3 days in the refrigerator .

How to eat dashi

As it is an extremely free-spirited local dish, there are no particular rules for how to eat it. In Yamagata Prefecture, it is usually served on a large platter, and everyone is free to take and eat as they wish

However, eating it on rice is a surefire way to go. It's just as delicious as you'd imagine

By the way, in Yamagata, it seems that people sometimes pour water over rice to make "mizukake gohan" (rice with water poured over it) and eat it with soup stock. It certainly sounds good on a hot summer day!

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Summer food in Yamagata! | "Mizukake Gohan" is the perfect dish for the heatwaves and lingering summer heat!

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/15782

When it's hot, your appetite decreases, doesn't it? Did you know there's a super easy meal you can eat easily, even on the hottest days? It was once featured on a certain TV program... I remember it being introduced as something like "poor man's meal," which is a bit harsh to put it that way. But, it's actually the ultimate meal. The dish they introduced was "Mizukake Gohan," a summer staple in Yamagata Prefecture. This time, we're going to introduce "The Ultimate Mizukake Gohan!", a recipe that won't let you lose your appetite during the hot season. By the time you finish reading, you'll be wanting to eat it right away! It's a recipe you won't soon forget...

read more

Next is the cold tofu topped with dashi. The simple tofu is perfectly combined with the complex flavor of vegetables. This is a dish that is recommended to accompany your evening drinks

It also goes well with noodles. Try it on somen or hiyamugi noodles, or mix it into Zaru Soba (cold soba) soup as a condiment

Of course, it's also delicious just as is!

In addition to this, it seems that dashi is steadily making inroads into the Western food world with dishes such as "dashi pasta," "dashi pizza," and carpaccio topped with dashi..

summary

This was an introduction to Yamagata's local summer dish, "Dashi."

I was curious, so I did some more research and found a "mixed salad of finely chopped vegetables" ! It was what I expected, but I was able to learn about the different variations and discover the true nature of the vegetables that go into it, so it was all good.

I found the recipe to be quite simple, so I'm going to try making my own version this summer!

Aoiwa

Traveling around the Tohoku region, I enjoy drinking delicious sake and exploring the local history, traditions, and customs. I write articles based on my interests. I'm currently interested in folk performing arts, local toys, and folk beliefs