Sekihan(Red rice) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Hokkaido Prefecture

Sekihan(Red rice)

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Main lore areas

All over Hokkaido
Main ingredients used

Uruchi rice, glutinous rice, amanatto (sweet soybeans)

History/origin/related events

Sekihan (red rice) is often eaten on special occasions throughout Japan. In Hokkaido, there is a unique food culture to cook sekihan with ama-natto (sweet soybeans). In other regions, sekihan is cooked with azuki beans and seasoned with sesame salt, so it does not have a sweet taste, but sekihan in Hokkaido with ama-natto is sweet.
The origin of "sekihan" with ama-natto is a matter of some debate, but it is said to have been invented in the late 1950s by Ms. Akiko Nanbu, founder and first president of Koshio Gakuen Educational Corporation in Sapporo, to make it easier for busy mothers to cook sekihan. As a working mother herself, she wanted to give her children something they would enjoy to eat, even though it was time-consuming to cook azuki red rice, so she established a simple method of cooking rice, mixing it with ama-natto, and adding color with food coloring.
Dr. Nambu, who is also a leading expert on Hokkaido's local cuisine, gave lectures throughout the prefecture. When he taught local mothers how to make "sekihan" (red rice) using amanatto, the children were delighted and it quickly became very popular. Later, it was introduced in newspapers, on the radio, and in other media, and quickly spread throughout the province.
Opportunities and times of eating habits

Because it is made from glutinous and non-glutinous rice and amanatto (sweet soybeans), which are available year-round, it is eaten throughout the year. Because it is easy to make, it is often prepared at home, and is sometimes served in school lunches. As is customary throughout Japan, it is also eaten on special occasions, and although it is a sweet rice dish, it is often served with side dishes.
How to eat

Mix glutinous rice and Uruchi rice, add a slight color to the rice with food coloring, cook it, and mix the amanatto (sweet soybeans) into the cooked sekihan (red rice). Then the heat from the cooked "sekihan" (red rice) will melt the ama-natto a little around the ama-natto, making that part especially sweet. According to the recipe by the inventor, Mr. Nambu, glutinous rice and Uruchi rice are mixed in the ratio of 01時01分, but the ratio can be changed to suit different tastes. Each household often has its own unique arrangement.
Efforts for Preservation and Succession

(Outline of the people who have passed down the tradition, preservation groups, use of SNS, modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)
In Hokkaido, the word "sekihan" often refers to "sekihan" with ama-natto, and it has already become an established part of the food culture. In Hokkaido supermarkets and convenience stores, "sekihan" with sweetened red beans is more commonly available than "sekihan" with unsweetened red beans. Recently, the impact of "sekihan with sweet red beans" is gaining recognition nationwide.
Convenience stores and supermarkets in Hokkaido are collaborating to promote "sekihan day" on November 23 (registered by the Japan Anniversary Association).

RECIPE

Ingredients (For 4 persons)

Leap rice 1.5 cups
Glutinous rice 1.5 cups
Water 3 cups
Ama-natto (sweet soybeans) 100 g
salt 2／3 tsp.
red ginger 30g
Black sesame seeds 1／2 tbsp.
Salt (for sesame salt) 2 tbsp.
Red food coloring A pinch

How to cook

1. Mix and wash Uruchi rice and glutinous rice, then soak in water for about 30 minutes to drain. Wash the ama-natto quickly and drain. Be careful not to soak the glutinous rice in water for too long or it will become soft.
2. Put water in a pot over heat, mix salt and red bean paste, add rice, bring to a boil, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, turn off heat and add ama-natto when steaming.
3. Place cooked sekihan in a bowl, sprinkle with sesame salt mixed with black sesame and salt, and garnish with thinly sliced red ginger.

provider : "A Taste of Hokkaido" (by Akiko Nanbu)

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

Sekihan(Red rice) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Hokkaido Prefecture

Sekihan(Red rice)

Main lore areas

Main ingredients used

History/origin/related events

Opportunities and times of eating habits

How to eat

Efforts for Preservation and Succession

RECIPE

Ingredients (For 4 persons)

How to cook