[Yamagata Prefecture] Representative summer pickles from the Okitama region. What is the popular round eggplant?

  • ikoke
  • Last updated: 2023.06.29

In the Okitama region, located in the southwest of Yamagata Prefecture, it has become a summer staple to eat young picked whole eggplants with a unique pickling method

Recently, the method of pickling has been improved and it is now easier to make.

We will introduce you to the charm of round eggplants and that say ``Unmai!'' (delicious)

What kind of eggplant is round eggplant?

Numerous varieties of eggplant have been improved.Nearly 200 speciesI'm surprised that there are.

Round eggplant

Eggplants commonly found in supermarkets are medium-length eggplants and are often sold in several bags. There are also rice eggplants that are sold in large chunks.

Among the many types of eggplants, the round eggplants we will be introducing this time are thin-skinned round eggplants that have a good reputation as small eggplants that can be eaten in one bite.

The secret story behind the birth of round eggplants, a favorite in the Okitama region?

It is said that a long time ago, during the time of Uesugi Kagekatsu, the lord of the Uesugi domain, samurai were made to grow Kubota eggplant, which was a native species, and later, Uesugi Yozan popularized it.

In addition, we have created a crossbreeding of Kubota eggplant and Sendai long eggplant.Brahmamaru eggplantIt is also a registered trademark as a pickle named ``.

By the way, ``Bontenmaru'' is the name of Date Masamune, the lord of the Sendai domain, when he lived in Yonezawa when he was a child, and it is said that he named the hybrid between Yonezawa native species and Sendai long eggplant after him.

As its name suggests, it has a thin skin and a crisp texture, and the freshness you feel when you eat it as a pickle makes it a beloved summer pickle

Is pickled eggplant actually delicious?

「Thin-skinned round eggplantAs the name suggests, the skin is thin and has a crisp texture.The freshness you feel when you eat it as a pickle is the best.

Thin-skinned round eggplant

It is so loved by the people of the prefecture that it is said to be a must-have on the summer table.

Eggplant is said to have a cooling effect on the body, and can be expected to have the effect of cooling the body's heat from the inside out in the sweltering heat, making it a perfect summer food .

It is so popular that some local households keep it on hand as a companion for tea.

It seems that each family has made this unique dish by marinating it with original seasonings.

Recipe for pickling thin-skinned round eggplants

[Things to prepare]

  • Thin-skinned round eggplant or young round eggplant
  • water
  • salt
  • sugar
  • alum

[How to pickle]

  1. Prepare the eggplant.
    Wash well and make a cross-shaped cut in the stem. If the eggplants are large, cut off the stems.
  2. to make the pickling juice,
    boil water (1,800 ml as a guide), 150 g of salt, 300 g of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of alum (to maintain a beautiful color), then
    let it cool.
    *If there is resistance from alum, you don't need to add it. The color will be bad due to the scum from the eggplant, but there will be no problem with the taste.
  3. Place the eggplant (Takanotsume and shiso leaves if you have one) in the prepared pickling container and pour in the prepared pickling liquid until everything is completely submerged.

What is the weight of pickles? I think some people have noticed this.
This is the secret to this unique pickling method.

In fact, the secret to easily making eggplant pickles at home pickle them in a jar or empty bottle (as shown in the image above).

The container written above is an empty bottle.
Using the constriction near the opening of an empty bottle,Pack it tightly so that you can squeeze in the eggplant.It is.

As if this is enough, put it in from the top and press it in. Finally, put the hawkfish in the gap, and finally cover it with the shiso leaves as if to put a lid on it.

Close the lid tightly and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 to 15 hours, day and night, until it's ready to eat.

At my house, we reuse empty coffee bottles and stock them for pickled eggplant.

Other delicious ways to pickle

Small eggplant pickled in mustard is also famous.
Pickle thin-skinned round eggplants in the same way. Pickled mustard seems to be well received as a snack with alcohol.

In the Okitama region, when you get a lot of round eggplants, you use a lot of salt and store them in salt storage, and in the winter, when vegetables are scarce, you remove the salt and re-pickle them in a separately made pickling soup.

There are many ways to lightly pickle them, such as dipping them in beer, and they have a good reputation for preserving the color well, and they use leftover beer or non-alcoholic ingredients to pickle them, so you don't have to be a Gobei-san to pickle them.

summary

The Okitama region, located in the southwest of Yamagata Prefecture, has small eggplants. Lightly pickled thin-skinned round eggplants have become a very popular dish at home.

In the summer, if you put ice in a small bowl and put pickled whole eggplant on top and serve it to the table, it will be refreshing to the eye and will make you eat with your chopsticks.

In addition, pickled eggplant has become an indispensable dish even if it's just for tea with neighbors.
Each family uses different seasonings and pickling methods, so we teach each other how to use different methods, and even just pickled eggplant seems to be the source of lively conversations.

Are you starting to want to eat thin-skinned round eggplants as a summer pickle?

It seems that some are ordered, so please do some research and give it a try.

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