Nagano Prefecture

[torakris]

Nagano is often regarded as the roof of Japan as it houses most of the highest peaks, so when you are done with your day of skiing, what are some of the local foods you go for?

more information on local foods:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...51entry729351

[torakris]

some of the most popular miso (shinshu miso) and soba (shinshu soba) come from this area.

[Hiroyuki]

The people of Nagano prefecture are well known for being akujiki (悪食 in Chinese characters; literally, bad eating). Akujiki means the act of eating bizarre foods and those who eat such foods. They eat bee larvae, silkworm chrysalises, locusts, and so on. My father comes from Anzu (apricot) no sato, Nagano prefecture.

http://markun.cs.shinshu-u.ac.jp/nagano-in...zu/index-e.html

He is one of those akujiki.

Note: The people of Nagano prefecture prefer the word Shinshu (信州) to Nagano when they refer to the prefecture. To them, the word Nagano sounds as if it referred to Nagano city, the capital of Nagano prefecture, only.

[torakris]

inago no tsukudani:

http://www.nana.or.jp/~naoto/tamago/zatu/inago.jpg

and hachinoko:

http://www.kikimimi.net/tatsu/dream/img/hachinoko.jpg

[melonpan]

They eat bee larvae, silkworm chrysalises, locusts, and so on.

i always kind of wondered if it was only koreans who ate chrysalis, aka beondegi (번데기). now i know for sure that we arent the only ones. bee larvae are new to me, though!

[Hiroyuki]

inago no tsukudani:

http://www.nana.or.jp/~naoto/tamago/zatu/inago.jpg

and hachinoko:

http://www.kikimimi.net/tatsu/dream/img/hachinoko.jpg

←

Inago = Locust

Hachinoko = Bee larva

One of the less offensive Nagano specialities is basashi (raw horse meat). I'm not a very big fan, but I can eat it.

http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/food.html

(First topic)

http://cplyon.ca/matsumoto/miscramb/food.html

Scroll down and read under "Nagano Prefecture Specialties".

[helenjp]

Hachinoko...this preference is alive and well! I mentioned a few weeks ago to a client that we were having trouble with huge wasps (the size of a thumb sometimes!) which were safely ensconced in a nearby nature reserve. He rose through several levels of alertness and made me promise that if ( ) I were to smoke out the nest and kill the larvae, I'd send him a boxful. He did impress on me that he really didn't want a box of LIVE giant wasp larvae!

As for Korean insect foods, I discovered that there is a species of caterpillar which attacks pine trees (notably, OUR pine tree)...while finding out how to get rid of it, I discovered how to eat them. You need to impale each caterpillar on a stick, then roast it evenly over a fire, and then carefully peel back the skin before eating, so that the poisonous hairs are removed along with the skin. They are poisonous enough to kill birds, apparently. The taste was described as "resinous". Stands to reason...

I never did find out how to get rid of them though, so I assume that Koreans ate them in desperation, when the caterpillars had eaten everything else edible!

[torakris]

As for Korean insect foods, I discovered that there is a species of caterpillar which attacks pine trees (notably, OUR pine tree)...while finding out how to get rid of it, I discovered how to eat them. You need to impale each caterpillar on a stick, then roast it evenly over a fire, and then carefully peel back the skin before eating, so that the poisonous hairs are removed along with the skin. They are poisonous enough to kill birds, apparently. The taste was described as "resinous". Stands to reason...

I never did find out how to get rid of them though, so I assume that Koreans ate them in desperation, when the caterpillars had eaten everything else edible!

←

Helen are you talking about kemushi ("hairy" caterpillar)? Aren't the ones that we scream at the children not to touch because they cause in intense itching? You can eat those?

[Hiroyuki]

Usuyaki.

See the photos in the links:

http://www.ued.janis.or.jp/aji/0212/02/

http://www.jaibigawa.or.jp/cook01-9.html

[torakris]

Usuyaki.

See the photos in the links:

http://www.ued.janis.or.jp/aji/0212/02/

http://www.jaibigawa.or.jp/cook01-9.html

←

looks a little like chijimi/pajeon...

I notice on has rice added to it but the other doesn't , they both have miso though, is that the necessary ingredient?

[Hiroyuki]

Usuyaki.

See the photos in the links:

http://www.ued.janis.or.jp/aji/0212/02/

http://www.jaibigawa.or.jp/cook01-9.html

←

looks a little like chijimi/pajeon...

I notice on has rice added to it but the other doesn't , they both have miso though, is that the necessary ingredient?

←

Miso is definitely the indispensable ingredient. You know the flavor of scorched miso... Extremely delicious.

[Hiroyuki]

My father comes from Shinshu (Nagano), and is a huge fan of oshibori udon.

To make udon soup, he grates a daikon with a very sharp taste called nezumi daikon, squeezes juice from it using a sheet of cloth, and adds miso, ground peanuts or walnuts, and shredded scallions. Nezumi daikon are not available in Tokyo or Chiba, so he grows them in one of his fields.

Webpages related to oshibori udon:

http://www.karakida.co.jp/seihin/gift3.htm

http://www.icon.pref.nagano.jp/usr/kohaku/osiboriudon.htm

Both in Japanese only.

I'm not a fan of oshiobori udon.

[Hiroyuki]

This is a speciality of Nagano, called shoyu mame しょう油豆 (soy sauce beans) or shoyu no mi しょう油の実 (fruit of soy sauce).

There are similar specialities in other prefectures. In Kagawa prefecture, for example, there is a speciality with the same name, shoyu mame.

I must add that not all shoyu mame are the same. This particular product from Takamura Shoten is very good, while I find another product almost inedible.

Website of Takamura Shoten:

http://www.misogura.co.jp/season/shoyumame.html