Yamagata prefecture

[torakris]

Yamagata really has some great food! I have yet to meet a Yamagata meibutsu I don't love. My MIL makes yearly treks to Yamagata to get some of the best sakuranbo (Japanese cherries) in Japan. My family is also currently addicted to another speciality their shio nattou!

What are some of your favorites?

check out the meibutsu thread to learn more:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...=0entry703162

[torakris]

I picked up a prepared package of what in Yamagata is known as dashi, this is a combination of chopped vegetables, etc. This particular package contained:

cucumber, eggplant,konbu (kelp), scallions, myouga and shiso

the package looked like this

and I served it on some hiyayakko (cold tofu)

[Akiko]

Torakris,

Was it as good as it looks? Do you think you could do this "homemade" by dicing the vegetables yourself and mixig with dashi? (I'm assuming that dashi was the seasoning because of the name, am I wrong?)

I picked up a prepared package of what in Yamagata is known as dashi, this is a combination of chopped vegetables, etc. This particular package contained:

cucumber, eggplant,konbu (kelp), scallions, myouga and shiso

the package looked like this

and I served it on some hiyayakko (cold tofu)

←

[Hiroyuki]

Here is one recipe for dashi (Japanes only):

http://allabout.co.jp/gourmet/cookingabc/c...704a/index2.htm

The term dashi, as used here, refers to this particular local dish in Yamagata prefecture, not soup stock.

Edit to add a personal message to torakris:

When are you going to start the Niigata prefecture thread??

Edited September 16, 2004 by Hiroyuki (log)

[torakris]

I think this kind of dashi would be very easy to make, the only reason I bought it was to see what it tastes like since I had never had it before. It was quite good but I am sure homemade is even better!

Hiroyuki,

I will be getting to Niigata as soon as I finish with Kanto!

[torakris]

I picked up a pack of tama-konnyaku (tama means ball or things round in shape) with a special tare (sauce) that is very popular in Yamagata.

the finished product

this was really good! and I think the flavor would be simple to do at home, I wanted to see what it is generally supposed to taste like since I had never had it before. My 3 year old son gobbled almost all of them down himself!

[Evan]

My Furusato... brings back lots of memories. Tamakon on a warm summer festival night in Yonezawa, my mouth is just watering from the thought of it.

It's also getting close to cherry season in Yamagata. I used to pick Satonishiki sakuranbo (I think they are Ranier cherries in the US) at a family friend's farm in Higashine. Picking only the very large red/ripe ones or the "futago sakuranbo" where two cherries are fused into one. The futago cherries are mostly sold for use in weddings. They also grew American bing cherries but they were not as good compared to the satonishiki.

I also remember picking champaign grapes as well but the cherries were the most memorable.

[Evan]

Imonikai...potato boiling party

As a child growing up in Yonezawa the neighborhood got together annually for Chonai Imonikai (inner neighborhood imonikai) A huge boiling pot on top of a wood fire full of taro imo, beef slices, onions, and green onions. The best part is the broth, its sooo savory...mmm mmm good.

[torakris]

that looks so good!!

do you know how they season the broth?

[Evan]

I think its just the typical dashi is used for the imoni. It was back in the day when I was a wee young'un so I was only interested in eating, not cooking.