New Year's Cuisine in the Tohoku Region | Preserved Foods for Festivities Developed by Heavy Snowfall
table of contents
When most people think of New Year's, they probably think of sumptuous meals
However, in the Tohoku region, especially in areas that are hit by heavy snowfall, New Year's meals are not just a "luxury" experience
The role of New Year's cuisine in the Tohoku region as a "preserved food"
In the winter in snowy regions, people's movements were restricted by the accumulation of snow, making fields, mountains, and rivers unusable, and distribution systems were underdeveloped, making it difficult to obtain new food
Winter was not a season for obtaining food, but rather a season for planning and consuming
For these reasons, the dishes served at New Year's in the Tohoku region were both "ingredients that were preserved and therefore remained" "ingredients that were considered appropriate to eat at New Year's ." In other words, New Year's dishes were required to be both preservable and auspicious .
New Year's Fish Dishes
Hatahata
Sandfish are caught in large quantities in the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture and along the coast of Akita Prefecture Akita Ondo " includes the lyrics, "We can't celebrate New Year's without sandfish."
Among them Hatahata sushi is a dish made by fermenting and preserving hatahata fish so that it can be eaten throughout the winter, and is positioned as a celebratory dish that represents the New Year in Akita.
Salmon
salmon caught in early autumn and preserved by vinegar pickling, soy sauce pickling, or salting are common.
New Year's staples include Salmon rice sushi" from Aomori Prefecture Higashi-namasu from the Sanriku coastal region of Iwate Prefecture Momiji-zuke from the Abukuma River coast of Fukushima Prefecture
Cod
Cod a typical winter food in Tohoku , is often used in stews made from dried cod , while freshly caught cod is often used in soups along the coast.
botarani, made by slowly simmering dried cod, can be found throughout the Tohoku region, and among soups, " jappajiru " from Aomori Prefecture, " tarajiru dongarajiru from Yamagata Prefecture remain as local dishes in coastal areas near the sea.
Tara means "to eat one's fill of cod," and is also considered an auspicious item that brings good fortune and brings peace and security in food supplies throughout the year
Donko
This fish lives along the coast from around Hakodate in Hokkaido to the Hamadori region of Fukushima Prefecture, and its official name is the Ezo Isoainame
It is eaten as "donko soup" mainly in the Pacific coastal areas of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures
Shark
Excavations of ruins have revealed that sharks have been eaten in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture since the Jomon period, and they are an inseparable part of the local food culture
It is eaten in a variety of ways, such as with rice sushi, as sashimi, in clear soup, as a pickled dish, or simmered, but during the New Year, a "Shark Sukume" is eaten, which is made by boiling the shark's head, shredding the flesh while it is still hot, and seasoning it with vinegared miso.
ray
there was a tradition of eating dried rays brought by Kitamae ships
"Kasube-ni" is a dish of dried ray stingray simmered in a sweet and spicy sauce "Karakai- ni" is a dish made from the dried cartilage of ray fins. These have long been popular ceremonial foods for special occasions such as New Year's and Obon.
Koi (carp)
Carp is a food that is popular mainly in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture and Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture. In Yonezawa during the Edo period, Lord Uesugi Yozan, the 9th lord of the Yonezawa domain, began carp farming as a fishery resource to secure a valuable source of protein in the inland area, while in Koriyama during the Meiji period, carp farming began as a way to utilize reservoir ponds that became unnecessary after the completion of the Asaka Canal.
"carp soup , " "carp sashimi , "carp stew" were served at ceremonial occasions, New Year's dishes, and as hospitality dishes.
New Year's dishes made with vegetables, fruits, and beans
persimmon
Persimmons were popular as a substitute for sweets in the days when sugar was a precious commodity. By drying them, they could be preserved for long periods of time and were a valuable source of nutrition during the harsh winter.
"Anpo-gaki no Namasu," eaten in Fukushima Prefecture during New Year's and other celebrations , is made by mixing peeled and sun-dried persimmons with drained radish and carrots, vinegar, and sugar. The red and white colors of the dish are associated with meanings such as "safety in the home" and "happiness."
Japanese white radish
Radishes are harvested and dried in the sun to "dried radishes," frozen radishes made using a natural freeze-drying method that takes advantage of the cold , allowing them to be preserved for long periods of time, making them a valuable food source during the winter.
However, in the southern inland areas of Akita Prefecture, there is a lot of rain and snowfall from late autumn to winter, and the hours of sunlight decrease, so the sun-dried radishes often do not dry sufficiently before the temperature drops below freezing
In this environment, people tried to dry radishes over an indoor hearth, using heat and smoke to increase the shelf life of the radishes, and this led to the creation of "Iburi-gakko ."It can be said that this local dish was born out of the necessity of the environment surrounding the region.
Carrots
Like radishes, carrots can be dried to preserve them for long periods of time, making them a valuable food source during the winter
"Ikaninjin" (squid and carrots) from Fukushima Prefecture, which is now sold year-round , was originally made as a preserved food in winter and is a beloved local dish that is an essential part of New Year's celebrations. Similarly, "Tara no Ko-ae" (cod roe salad) , is made by mixing cod roe with carrots.
beans
Drying beans also made it possible to store them for long periods of time, and they were used as ingredients in miso soup and in simmered dishes
"Uchimame" a local food made by crushing dried soybeans with a wooden mallet to flatten them . This method of preserving soybeans has been passed down over a wide area from Hokuriku to Tohoku (especially along the Sea of Japan). Because the soybeans are crushed beforehand, they absorb water and cook quickly, making them easy to extract broth.
Mame-kazunoko a dish served on New Year's meals in the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture , is a dish made from dried green soybeans and desalted herring roe. The beans represent the desire to work hard and live a healthy life, while the herring roe is an auspicious food symbolizing prosperity of descendants.
Other New Year's dishes
Kenojiru (Aomori Prefecture)
In the Aomori dialect, "kayu" (rice porridge) is pronounced as "ke," so it is said that "kayu no shiru" (rice porridge soup) is corrupted to "ke no jiru."
There are various theories about its origins, such as that in the days when rice was a precious commodity, vegetables and other ingredients were finely chopped and eaten as if they were stewed rice, but it has come to be treasured as a nutritious preserved food for winter, and continues to be enjoyed to this day
Mamebu soup (Iwate Prefecture)
"Mamebu soup" is a local dish passed down in the area around Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture. It is made by adding burdock, carrots, fried tofu, shimeji mushrooms, kanpyo, and grilled tofu to a broth made from dried sardines and kelp, seasoning it with soy sauce, and then "mamebu," a type of dumpling made of flour wrapped around walnuts and brown sugar, and simmering it.
It has a unique flavor that allows you to enjoy the saltiness of the soup and the sweetness of the brown sugar at the same time, and is eaten as a special occasion food such as weddings, funerals, and New Year's
Sendai Zoni (Miyagi Prefecture)
"Sendai Zoni" has been eaten in the Sendai domain since the end of the Edo period. It is a gorgeous, colorful ozoni made with large grilled goby, salmon roe, Sendai parsley, and "ohikina" made from daikon radish, carrot, and burdock, and it is said that it is common to eat this ozoni during the first three days of the New Year in the Sendai city area.
Ohira (Fukushima Prefecture)
This local dish, which originates from the area around Tadami Town in Minamiaizu County, Fukushima Prefecture, is a stew made with grilled and dried minnows, yam, burdock, maitake mushroom, kelp, and deep-fried tofu. It is said to have been named "ohira" (
This is a visually gorgeous New Year's dish made in Tadami Town, one of Japan's snowiest areas, using ingredients that can be stored for a long time during the snow-covered period
Boiled dried fish
Hyo-boshi is a preserved food that is passed down in the Okitama and Murayama regions of Yamagata Prefecture .
Hyo is another name for the slippery grass, and is a plant that is often treated as a weed in other parts of Japan, but it is also listed in "Katemono," an illustrated guide to famine relief crops compiled by Lord Uesugi Yozan, the 9th lord of the Yonezawa domain in the late Edo period, which suggests that it has long been recognized as a food ingredient in Yamagata prefecture
Hyoboshi-ni " is a dish made by stir-frying hyoboshi with konjac, fried tofu, and soybeans , and is an indispensable New Year's dish.
Braised flounder
Nametagarei is a type of flatfish called babagarei in other regions is written as nametagarei of slime
They migrate south from their habitat in Hokkaido to the Sendai Bay area from around December, and have become a New Year's Eve tradition in Miyagi Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, and parts of Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture
In Miyagi Prefecture, the flounder , and it is eaten with garnishes of wakame seaweed and thinly sliced ginger.
Reference site: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries – Our Local Cuisine
This is the NEFT editorial department.
Articles written by the editorial department and anonymous writers are published here.
Other articles
Karita in Zao Town, the center of "swan faith" that is passed down in the southern part of the prefecture...
"Isedodai Ruins" is a mysterious ruin registered as a World Heritage Site...
[Miyagi Prefecture] What is Yamatoden? Ichinokura will be selling exclusively in Miyagi prefecture...
What is the famous Iwaki sweet "Jangara"? The mellow mouth melts...
![Koriyama brand vegetables [Green Sweet]](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/IMG_8104-300x300.jpg.webp)
What is Koriyama brand vegetables? [Green Sweet Edition] Cooking...
The main shrine of the zodiac guardianship of the Aizu zodiac guardianship of the Tohoku zodiac guardianship of the zodiac: Fukushima Edition
[Fukushima Prefecture] Delicious soy sauce soup that fills your mouth! "Shirakawa...
Is there a statue of a sumo wrestler crying at night? Mogami Yoshimitsu's Daughter's Family Temple Special...
Looking forward to the new overnight express train connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Tohoku region!
The Domain School Chi Dokan and the Todo Museum are historical drama spots in the Shonai region! ...
From north to south! 7 local nattos from Miyagi Prefecture that you can buy at supermarkets...
