Mamebu soup (1)

[Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture] What is Mamebu soup? Detailed explanation of the flavors that appeared in the NHK drama series "Ama-chan"

"Ama-chan" which was broadcast as an NHK drama drama novel in 2013 , the main character Aki goes to Kitasanriku City with her mother during summer vacation and tastes Mamebu soup Do you remember there being one?

, we will explain in detail about Mamebu, which has suddenly become well-known since it was introduced in Ama-chan ``a strange food that you can't tell whether it's a side dish or a snack.''

What is Mamebu soup?

Mamebu soup a local dish from the Yamagata-cho (formerly Yamagata-mura) area of ​​Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture.It is made by adding burdock root , carrots, fried tofu, shimeji mushrooms, kanpyo, and grilled tofu to a soup stock of dried sardines and kelp, and seasoning it with soy sauce. Then, dango wrapped in walnuts and brown sugar are added to flour called Mamebu and boiled.

Mamebu soup (2)
Mamebu soup

Mamebu was made by wrapping walnuts in flour as a substitute food during the Edo period, when the Shogunate issued a notice to the Nanbu domain stating that ``peasants should not eat noodles or buckwheat noodles'' in preparation for a bad harvest. It is said that it was first eaten as dumplings.

Mamebu
Contents of mamebu (walnuts/brown sugar)

that the name Mamebu came from the resemblance of dango to temarifu (fried dumplings) I don't understand.

Also, for auspicious occasions, the mamebu is made larger, and for bad events, the mamebu is made smaller, and the soup stock is made only from kelp, making it a vegetarian dish. It can be said to be characteristic.

Kuji Mamebu Stable, an organization that aims to revitalize Kuji City with Mamebud ?

Kuji Mamebu Stable is an organization run by volunteers who want to debut Mamebu soup nationwide and revitalize the region.

Kuji Mamebu stable has the word ``room'' in its name, likening it to a sumo stable, so its activities are called ``tours,'' and you can check out the latest activities on its Facebook and blog.

At Kuji Mamebu Stable, we have carried out a wide range of educational activities related to Mamebu, starting with activities to spread the word about the taste by "distributing" Mamebu soup in Iwate Prefecture, to holding Mamebu food festivals, and responding to hearings from the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It can be said that it is characteristic that

As a result of Kuji Mamebu Stable's activities, Mamebu exhibited for the first time in 2011 at the National B-1 Grand Prix, won the first prize at the Toyokawa Tournament. I won 5th place

The B-class gourmet participating in the B-1 Grand Prix is ​​not just a local dish.By winning the middle prize, we can say that we have proven that mamebu soup is a flavor that is loved by a variety of people, not just people from Iwate prefecture. Probably.

Since 2021, Kuji Mamebu Room a "Mamebu Future Inheritance Course" for children in order to pass on the taste of Mamebu to the future.

Additionally, in July 2021, in order to designate Mamebu as a national intangible folk cultural property, we applied and were selected for the Agency for Cultural Affairs' "Food Culture Story" creation and dissemination model project.

I believe Mamebu will continue to be passed down as a dish that connects Iwate Prefecture's valuable food culture to the future.

summary

Mamebu soup is a local dish from Yamagata-cho, Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture.It is made by adding vegetables and tofu to a soup stock of dried sardines and kelp, seasoning with soy sauce, and then wrapping walnuts and brown sugar in flour called Mamebu. It is made by boiling dumplings in it, and I learned that it continues to be loved by the people of Iwate Prefecture, as it has won awards at the B-1 Grand Prix and is aiming to be designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

When you visit Iwate, be sure to try Mamebu.

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